InuYasha: Legend of the Record Keeper
by CheshireCatAlex
Summary: So many things are a mystry about Sesshomaru's hatred for humans, but when a strange woman of his past shows up she drags both the InuYasha crew and the demon lord into danger and the possibility of defeating Naraku at last. But as a price.
1. Bad Dreams

A/N:

Alex: Hiya all waves This is my first fic here, I welcome flames but please be gentle.

Sally: OOo, that sounds so naughty!

Alex: o.O; bats at the fairy You dirty minded pixie get outa here! Anywho InuYasha doesn't belong to me and I write this just because I'm twisted in the head.

Sally: Yeah too bad it doesn't belong to you…eyes Sesshomaru, InuYasha, and Miroku

Alex: Gaya! chases the fairy You hentai! Besides Naraku is more your type.

Sally: Whaaaaa! O.O

Alex: Anywho here's the first chapter! . Reviews are appreciated and I accept flames but please please be somewhat gentle.

Sally: Psh, don't be gentle, burn her rear to the ground.

Chapter 1: Bad Dreams!

_Her heart beat sounded loudly in her ears as she ran her short breaths coming in pants, her eyes were clenched shut in attempt to stop the tears that blurred her vision. She opened her mouth to call out, "Lord Sesshomaru!? Where are you!" Rin tripped and fell again onto the bloody floor causing the red liquid to splash up onto her little kimono turning the white and orange to dark red. She scrambled to her feet and rounded another corner only to let out another shriek and turned to run back the way she had come, away from the dead staring eyes of the pretty lady Kagome. Another skid around another corner another scream and she stood face to face with the dead staring golden eyes of Sesshomaru, she slid to her knees sobbing, "Lord Sesshomaru!!!" as she lifted her gaze again she let out a gasp the corridor was gone and a corpse ridden battlefield had taken its place._

_Rin looked around and let out another scream, bodies lay everywhere, the bodies of people she cared about. Lady Songo lay off to one side her eyes wide and staring half of her own weapon sticking from her chest, Kirara lay a little ways off from her, beheaded by the other half of the large boomerang. The monk Miroku lay in three pieces really, his right arm severed from his body then his body sliced in half horizontalyl, Rin turned away with a screech of horror only to fine herself face to face with the glassy golden eyes of Lord Sesshomaru's brother InuYasha's dead gaze, the _Tetsusaiga_ broken in half next to him a large deep slash running down from his neck to his navel and over him stood Naraku. Rin screamed and sobbed as she fell to the blood soaked ground pulling her knees to her chest she hugged her arms around them rocking back and forth as she sobbed. Then she way laying on something silky and soft that smelled like flower blossoms._

"_It is alright, you are safe now." The soft female voice pulled at her attention as well as calmed her. Rin sniffled amidst her sobs and looked up into the pale face of the beautiful woman that now held her. She sniffled again and hiccupped rubbing at her eyes with her kimono sleeves._

"_Wh…who are you?" the woman lifted a slender hand and brushed another tear off of Rin's cheek._

"_I'm a friend, so it doesn't matter, what matters is that you're safe now, the bad dream is gone." Her voice was soft but there was something wrong with it, Rin frowned slightly, her voice sounded emotionless, she glanced down at the ground and gasped sitting up to look around wildly. Gone was the horrific battle field, it was now replaced by a huge clearing with every kind of flower possible, sunlight cascaded down through the clouds dappling over the ground, and a light breeze ruffled the leaves of the trees and made the grass sway as well as brought the mixed scent of millions of flowers to them. "Little Rin, listen to me, this is just a dream but in the waking world you are very sick." The woman reach out again with her left hand and picked a single red flower then held it up to the little girl, "Give this to your guardians when you wake, have them brew it into a tea for you and all will be well again." Rin stared into the one amethyst eye that was visible on the woman's face._

"_Thank you.." Rin yawned and blinked slowly, when she opened her eyes again the woman was gone walking into the trees her kimono and long reddish hair floating behind her, Rin yawned again her eyes drifting shut. _

Voices woke her again and she blinked blearily to clear her vision and smiled up at Jaken and Lord Sesshomaru.

"She's awake! You awful child, you gave us such a scare! You've been so sick and screaming like a possessed person!" Jaken went on squawking and ranting. Rin however focused her attention on Sesshomaru golden gaze.

"Where did the pretty lady go?" her voice came out raspy from un-use over the past few days, Jaken let out another squawk.

"Silly child! There was no lady, you've been asleep for days!" The little imp man jumped up and down stamping his feet.

"Yes there was, she gave me this and said it'd make me well again." She opened her small hand which had been clenched around the red flower she held. Sesshomaru's expression didn't change other than his gaze locking on the flower.

"Look Jaken, a fire flower." His deepish voice rumbled in his throat as he spoke, the little imp man froze and wheeled around jumping up beside Rin to peer at the flower she held out.

"Impossible! Fire flowers don't grow during this time of the year!" he snatched up the flower turning it this way and that, "It is one! I'll go make this into a tea right away!" The little imp demon disappeared at a dead run out the door. Sesshomaru looked back down at the child that he took care of.

"What did this 'lady' look like Rin?" The child's face scrunched up as she thought.

"She wore a pretty silk kimono…..had pretty violet eyes….and…..and….oh! Her hair was the strangest shade of color, like the red in a sunset!" Rin croaked her words out again smiling brightly she missed the slight narrowing of her lords eyes.

Kagome held poor little Shippo close as he whimpered in his sleep clinging to her, the poor little kit had been having nightmares in his sleep for nearly a month now although he did his best to hide it during the day. He stayed exhausted now showing it even as he tried to hide it and now seemed to be getting sick running a light fever. Kagome had already given him an antibiotic but without proper rest she doubted it was going to help him any. She let out a startled yip as InuYasha appeared again beside her his hands wrapped around the basin of water she had sent him to get; she smiled her thanks and took the cloth from Shippo's head dipping it into the water in InuYasha's hands. She squeezed the cloth a bit then replaced it on the kits forehead.

"Any change Kagome?" InuYasha spoke softly so not to disturb the kit in the mikos arms.

"No, I'm worried InuYasha, he's been like this for days." Tears pooled in her dark eyes tearing at InuYasha's heart. Setting the basin down he looked from the sleeping Sango to Miroku to make sure both were asleep before slipping one arm around the young mikos shoulders pulling her close to his side. They kept close watch over the kit until early in the morning getting close to dawn when suddenly he stilled with a soft sigh both teens looked at one another curiously.

_Shippo was reliving the horrors of the murder of his father then running through his worst fears. The death of Kagome and their friends, his small paws splashed in pools of blood as he ran from Naraku and his incarnations. He was running as fast as he could, his sides and legs ached, his fox magic wouldn't work, and now his chest was starting to feel as if InuYasha's sword were piercing it. He felt Narakus fingers brush his tail and he tried to speed up again and instead ran right into a pair of arms. He let out a scream as they closed around him, then stopped struggling when he found them warm and safe surrounded by silk, the light scent of sakura blossoms assaulted his nose. He looked up into the face of a young woman who stared at the demons running towards them._

"_Be gone." She spoke softly yet as she done so the scene changed from one of blood and death to one of life and beauty. The battle field was replaced by the field which held the Bone Eaters well; his friends were sitting off to one side at a picnic laughing and joking. He stared up at the woman in wonder now._

"_Who are you?" he sniffled wiping his face with his sleeves._

"_It doesn't matter, you're safe now." She set him down and brushed off his clothes and face, "Now go join your friends, and be well." She turned him gently towards his friends and gave him a little push, he jogged forward several steps before he turned to look back at her._

"_He…ey..." He blinked, the woman was already disappearing into the forest, he tilted his head, "How strange…" shrugging he turned and ran on to his friends jumping into Kagome's arms._

Shippo opened his eyes to bright sunlight and Kagome's sleeping face above him as she leaned against InuYasha, "Good morning!" he yawned waking both of them. Kagome showered him with hugs while he answered their questions and once again the story of a young woman with sunset red hair was told partnering with odd looks of disbelief.


	2. Given Shards

A/N: Dun own it!

Alex: sighs Sorry it's taken me so long to get this next chapter put up, but I swear it's not my fault!

Sally: You can't blame it on your boss, you're just lazy.

Alex: Hey! I can't help it I work all the time then collapse when I get home.

Sally: Bull, you sit up and watch Adult Swim every night and dun bother to write any unless it's on your day off.

Alex: Ack! Shhhh, that's a secret! o.O

Chapter 2: Given Shards

In less than three days young Rin was well and running about again. In those healing days the child had explored the palace she had been in so rarely. Jaken on the other hand was not pleased with her running about considering he was under strict orders not to let her out of sight. It was much to his dismay on the last day of their stay in the palace she found the family grave yard. She had stared at the names on the stones one after another each with a title above or below it until she came to one that only held a name and a flower etched into the stone. She had bent down reading the letters carefully, 'K…u….s…Kusabana?" she looked at the imp man who was quivering.

"We need to leave here Rin, we're not supposed to come this far!" Rin had only tilted her head.

"Who's Kusabana." Her brow had crinkled in thought, "Kusa…bana….flower?"

"It doesn't matter Rin." The child had let out a squeal and whirled to face her lord, "She has been dead a long time. We're leaving." He had turned smoothly and started off the two scampering to follow and keep up.

Sesshomaru had decided that it was time for them to head out again to secure his lands once more. Upon their first night out as Rin slept beside the campfire that Jaken had started the little imp confided in his lord.

"It still worries me my lord, the lady that she spoke of and the fire flower that she was given." The little imp shifted his two headed staff around a bit, "Didn't it sound like she was descri…"

"That's enough Jaken, we will speak of this no farther, she is well and that is all that matters. As to who healed her it does not concern me other than I find it odd that they asked for nothing in return." His quiet tone was normal but the turbulent thoughts in his mind were not. The child had described someone who was supposed to be dead or at least who hadn't been seen for well over eighty-two years. "Besides she's dead and has been for a long time." Even as he said the words aloud he didn't believe them for a second. His train of thought was interrupted by a soft scent that just barely touched this scenes, he turned looking into the darkness of the trees but saw nothing, yet he could tell that something or someone was following them and he didn't like it in the least.

'She couldn't be alive; it has been to long for her to possibly be alive.' He turned his eyes to the setting sun, "We need to go west." The small party turned and started down the new path their lord in the lead.

Kagome stopped her bike and placed a foot down to balance as InuYasha jumped off of the back, Shippo stirred just slightly from his place in the little basket between her handlebars.

"There's a jewel shard near here…umm….that way!" she pointed to one side.

"InuYasha, do you sense that?" Miroku jumped off of Kirara's back with Sango following close behind.

"Yeah, a very strong demon, it has a strange scent too, kind of like flowers." He sniffed the air again, "Over there." He pointed towards a shadowy area in the forest and a soft outline suddenly appeared.

"That would be me half demon." A soft quiet female voice drifted from the shadows.

"Who's there, show yourself!" InuYasha's hand landed on the hilt of his sword, even Miroku and Songo's hands tightened on their weapons, Kirara however tilted her head curiously as did Shippo.

"Kagome…I know that voice…" he whispered up to the woman who had taken her bow from the back of her bike.

"Who are you?" InuYasha asked gruffly almost yelling at whoever hid in the shadows.

From the shadows an outline appeared then the woman stepped farther forward from the shadows. Yet still only half of her dim form was visible, Kagome studied the woman. Long sunset red hair floated around her body and was done in the strangest style for the era, her hair was adorned with several items and her bangs covered half of her face. The half of half face that wasn't covered had a strange tattoo running partially down it, she wore what to be a light colored kimono with long sleeves, and several necklaces were wrapped around her slender neck.

"So I'm right, you are a little impulsive in your assumptions." Her tone stayed soft and quiet, yet as soft as it was her tone was emotionless and her face passive, even her violet eyes were dullish.

"Who are you?" Miroku turned out to be the voice of the group now.

"You may call me Kusabana." InuYasha let out another growl.

"What do you want?" The woman lifted one sleeve clad arm and pointed it at Kagome who let out a little squeak.

"I want her to walk over here to me; I have something I must give her. But in return I wish to ask a simple request to be fulfilled anytime I wish, and you have no need to worry I promise upon my soul that it will be nothing evil as you may call it." Her soft voice seemed to drift on the soft breeze that kicked up. Kagome tensed for a moment studying the woman, she had a huge demonic aura, such a large one that it was making her ill but she felt no ill will towards her or anyone else around.

"I don't think so lady! Kagome's not comin' anywhere near you!"

"Sit boy!" InuYasha slammed into the ground as Kagome stepped forward until she stood only a few feet from the woman.

"What'd you do that for you idiot! She's a demon she's after the jewel shards!" The half dog demon struggled trying to get himself up off of the ground.

"Please hold out your hand priestess." Kagome did as she had been asked; the woman's left hand seemed to drift away from her side then out to barely brush over Kagome's. The younger woman felt something cool touch down in her palm and jerked her hand away her fingers curling around whatever was in her hand she stepped back quickly. The woman tilted her head slightly her face still passive, "Tis nothing that will harm you priestess, take a look for yourself." Her arm drifted back down to her side.

Kagome bit her bottom lip for a moment then opened her hand and let out a surprised yelp, two jewel shard lay in her palm now purified form her touch, "InuYasha look!" she turned to show him as he finally climbed to his feet.

"Jewel shards?" he pinned his amber gaze on the woman, "Why would you bring us the jewel shards? You're a demon right, so there must be a trick to this, all demons want those shards to become stronger." The woman pinned her one visible violet eye on him.

"I don't need them, besides they don't belong to me." They all stared at the woman as if she were insane for a moment then Kagome pulled the little jar out of her shirt to place the new shards in with her original three.

"Thank you so much! But wha…wait…where'd she go?" Kagome blinked at the now empty shadows where the woman had been, "That's so weird….she was just there a second ago..hum?" she looked down at Shippo as he tugged on the edge of her skirt.

"Kagome.."

"Yeah?" she tucked the little jar back into her shirt.

"That was the lady from my dream.."

Kusabana walked slowly through the trees her eyes staring at the ground as the hem of her kimono brushed the leaves and grass that littered it. Aya skittered out of her sleeve and up onto her shoulder with a little chitter poking her nose against her cheek lightly in question.

"I'm just thinking, he looked so much like him even with the ears. They have the same eyes." Kusabana smiled just slightly then winced immediately afterwards as a lance of pain shot up her right arm starting at her hand and ending at her shoulder, "I don't really know if the priestess can do it, so I'll wait a while before I make my request." Her soft tone barely rose over the rustling of the leaves as she talked to the small squirrel that sat on her shoulder. She sighed and continued on her way footsteps silent, 'He probably doesn't even remember me, and I suppose that's a good thing.' She kept that thought to herself.

A/N: Pweeese R&R.


	3. Past Memories

A/N: InuYasha isn't mine darn it!

Alex: Hey ya'll, sorry to say Sally has gone MIA on me so I'm just proofing the next few chapters and posting them for ya'll. Just so you guys know I'll probably do new uploads every Sunday or Monday, possibly some other day of the week if I have time. Also reviews would be greatly appreciated; hearing from readers gives me a little bit of hope that my stories are at least decent. I also like to hear ideas and suggestions from readers, I like seeing other peoples views. So anywho here's the next chapter, please keep in mind that these are memories from way back when we have no idea how Sesshomaru acted. And on a side note I do accept flames, hey it's your mind share it!

Chapter 3:

Past Memories

Sesshomaru paused at the edge of the cliff he had decided to stop on for a while, the human child needed to rest and eat. He stared up at the crescent moon that hung overhead looking so much like the violet symbol on his forehead. The child continued to ramble on about the woman in her dream , she had described all she had seen of the woman from the sunset red hair, to violet eyes, and even flowing black markings on her left cheek. The more she spoke of the gentle woman who had given her the medicine to heal her, the more Sesshomaru's anger grew. The woman the child spoke of and described couldn't be alive; all of the talk had been enough to remind him why he detested humans. He let his mind drift back to memories he had buried away many years ago.

"_Your duties will be to scrub the floors and keep them polished as well as mind all broken screens. Stay out of the way of the Lords, we're very lucky that they even let the few humans there are in the village work here in the palace." Sesshomaru could hear the head house keeper, Sora, rattling on at a supposed new servant, he lowered his eyes slightly to look at them. He made it a point to at least show the slightest respect to the woman who had helped care for him as a child. The old housekeeper bowed quick and low and the young girl behind her took it as a sign to do so as well. The long braid that had lain down her back slid over her shoulder to sway forward hiding her face with its thickness until she rose again. As he passed the soft scent of fire flowers assaulted his nose, most defiantly the human for Sora always smelled of soap._

_His eyes narrowed just slightly, the girl had strange colored hair, it looked as if someone had taken the rosy colors of the setting sun and placed them in her hair which, as he saw when she brushed it back over her shoulder, was pleated and fell nearly to her waist. He still couldn't see her face but from what he could tell she was only a child still, maybe twelve or thirteen. She wore a calf length light pink kimono with a dull blue apron over it and carried a large bucket of water in her pale hands._

_The old woman continued on the girl trailing behind her and Sesshomaru went on his way but not before he heard a soft female child's tone ask, "Ma'am, who was that man?" he glanced back over his shoulder at the sound of the soft voice and met wide startling violet eyes as she peered over her shoulder at him. A dark blush spread across her cheeks and she wheeled back around to follow the old demon._

Sesshomaru continued staring at the sky, the description that little Rin had given had sounded so much like that girl, he hadn't thought of her in years, had made it a point not to. In fact he had buried all memories of her; it was because of her that his hatred of humans had grown worse over the years. All because of her, if he had never met her in the palace then he would have never had the memories or the emotions to burry, his remaining hand curled into a fist his claws digging into his palm until they brought blood.

_Sesshomaru rounded the corner in the hall only to slam into someone who bounded off of his body to land with a thud, a cry of surprise, and a splash all at the same time. The scent of fire flowers drifted to him before he looked down at whoever had run into him and raised an eyebrow just slightly as his eyes met with the soaked form of the red headed girl that had been working in the palace for a year or so now. She was soaked from the pale of water that she had spilled all over herself, her red hair was stuck to her face and trailed behind her just slightly in dripping locks. What shocked him was the eyes that peered up at him dazed slightly, they were a light lavender, now wide as she realized who she had run into, she practically jumped to her feet and bowed deeply._

"_I'm very sorry Lord Sesshomaru, I should have paid attention to where I was going." She spoke softly her voice barely audible, her dripping hair falling over her shoulders, he spied a leather string on the floor and assumed that it had been holding her hair back at one point, "I..if you'll excuse me my lord I'll go get something to clean this up." She turned quickly and flew down the hall away from him butt length wet red hair flying behind her as her small feet barely touched the wooden floor._

Sesshomaru frowned slightly digging up the memory of what her face had looked like, heart shaped and pale with large lavender eyes that always seemed to be half hidden by her bangs, soft pink lips that always seemed to be in a slight pout. He had seemed to perpetually run into that girl, she seemed to have always been silent and in her own world until she ran into him which usually ended up with her jumping from the floor bowing and apologizing. Often he had run into her on purpose hoping to loosen that leather tie so that her red hair would fall free, he had an obsession over her hair. Another memory of that face sprang into his mind causing his claws to dig deeper into his palm, his blood dripped to the ground leaving small crimson splashes in the grass.

"_No! Please don't! Let me go!" Sesshomaru could hear the female's voice screaming as he knocked another sparring partner way with a quick flick of his arm. He paused turning his head towards the sounds of harsh mixed laughter he raised a hand stalling another partner and headed of in the direction of the laughing and screaming. As he rounded the back of the building his eyes widened in shock, a group of demon servants stood gathered around the sobbing form of a woman curled up on the ground. A woman surrounded in sheered off locks of long red hair that had once been hers._

"_What's going on here?" his tone came out icy and dull, he had been watching that girl for a time now, ever since she had run into him in the hall. The demon servants seemed to enjoy making her life miserable even though she worked so hard to do the tasks assigned to her. She had intrigued him with her soft speech and unusual mannerisms. Her appearance alone was enough to captivate many people, although young, only seventeen now, she was a beauty her long red hair and lavender eyes caught many a man's attention including his own._

_Every person there froze at the sound of his voice then quickly turned and bowed to him, "Well…um…" one male servant started to explain but Sesshomaru's eyes drifted back down to the girl who was just crying silently now._

"_It doesn't matter, you are all to go to my quarters and wait in my servant's chamber. I will deal with you all then." The servants quickly scattered, the one crying on the ground was pushing herself to her feet to follow, "Not you, I want to know what went on here." His eyes were pinned on the top of her bowed head and the short choppy locks that now covered it, the longest lock on reaching to her chin. Instead of standing now she just sat on the mucky ground admits the shorn strands of her hair. She sniffled once lifting a hand to use her kimono sleeve to wipe the tears from her face, the sleeve came away smeared with blood, "You're injured." The smell of blood had been over ridden by that of the mud and other demons around the girl, now he smelt it clearly._

"_It's just a small cut…" she barely whispered the words but he heard them, "I don't know why they did it, I went to fill the buckets like I had been told and when I turned around they were there…" he glanced around and found the notched pole and the two spilled buckets of water that had been dropped or knocked away, "I couldn't stop them, they cut my hair and I don't know why." Her whispered words ended in a soft whimper as she wrapped her arms around herself shivering. She was soaked and in shock as well as hurt, he knelt down in front of her._

"_Look at me servant." She did so slowly and he studied the cut on her left cheek, it was small but looked painful, "What's your name?" she shifted her eyes away so that they stared more at his shoulder than at him, it was considered an insult for a servant to look their lords directly in the face._

"_Kusa…Kusabana." Sesshomaru was quiet for a long moment, the name suited her. She was delicate and soft much like a flower, her parents had named her well._

"_Well then Kusabana, follow me and we'll get you tended to." He stood and waited for her to do so as well, she did shivering and shaking all the while her eyes pinned to the sheered locks of her hair lying on the ground. He frowned, her hair had been nearly as long as his reaching just past her bottom usually tied back or braided neatly. He started off the girl following a few steps behind him as was expected of her, he lead her inside pausing so that she could slip out of her wooden shoes not that it would save the floor much considering her soaked and muddied state. He led her down the halls to the head servants' chamber and slid the door open himself causing the old demon woman to let out a squeal of surprise, noticing who it was she bowed quickly._

"_Oh! Lord Sesshomaru! What a surprise, is something the matter?" Only she dared peer up at him full in the face, she flinched slightly noticing the extreme iciness of his eyes._

"_Yes something is wrong." He turned and lifted a hand to push the girl forward to stand next to him._

"_OH! Kusa-chan! What happened to your lovely hair!?" The old woman looked ready to faint as she rushed forward to grab the girls' shoulders, "Your cut! Come inside this instant both of you. I want to know what has happened my lord." She pulled the girl inside and pushed her down next to the fire in the center of the room shuffling off to find a blanket to drape over the girls shoulders and medicines to fix her cheek. As she worked Sesshomaru explained what had happened._

"_I plan on banishing them all, you know as well as I that if anyone ever turns on someone else in this palace that they get banished if not killed depending on the harm done. As for this human…I'm not really sure what to do with her." His eyes had stayed on the younger woman the entire time as the old demon had combed out the choppy lanks of hair and trimmed them until all were even. That being done Kusabana's hair only came down just past her ears. Least to say that Sesshomaru was not happy._

Sesshomaru took a calming breath and relaxed his hand, the small crescent shaped cuts on his palm already starting to heal. After that little incident all servants that had been involved had been banished and Kusabana had become his personal servant, her only duties had been to keep his room neat, tend to him when he was injured, and bring him his meals when he didn't feel like going to the main dinner room to dine with his father. She had in fact become a close companion, she had been soft spoken and kind often traveling with him into the smaller villages to help some of the women there but afterwards she had always looked so sad that he had asked her how she had come to be at the western lords' palace.

"_When I was only twelve a tribe of demons attacked my village, my mother and father were both killed but somehow they hid me from the demons under the ruins of our hut. The smell of all the blood must have hidden my scent because they never found me, I heard them leave but I couldn't get out of my hiding spot. I was trapped a long time until what had to be days later I heard someone in the ruins of our village and called out for help. It was your father who had found me, he brought me back to the palace to be a maid but I guess being a human with an unusual hair color isn't a thing to be when in a palace full of demons." She looked so sad as she told him the story, her hands never slowing in their work of repairing his torn kimono. He studied her face, her sunset hair was tied back with a blood colored ribbon, he frowned, her hair was growing but it was only just past her shoulders now. She used the small dagger she picked up from the table to cut the silk thread carefully, "There you go Lord Sesshomaru, good as new." She folded it carefully and sat it on the table smiling slightly as she so very rarely did. Later as he had put on his newly minded kimono her scent had clung to it softly, fire flowers. How she always smelled of them he didn't know because he had never saw any around the palace._

Sesshomaru turned away from the cliffs edge only to have his eyes snag on something next to a tree, a small pink and red five pedaled flower, "It has been a while since I have seen one of these." He spoke softly to himself, her very rarely saw these flowers outside the western lands. He bent down just slightly and actually picked it to look more closely at it before crushing it in his hand the soft scent growing in strength to hang in the air around him as he dropped the remains.

_Sesshomaru dealt with the demon in front of him easily taking him down with a quick brush of his energy whip then turned to look back, "It's safe now, you can come out." Kusabana peeked around the tree she had hidden behind the sleeves of her blue kimono covering all but her fingertips as her hand brushed the tree trunk._

"_Are you alright Lord Sesshomaru?" She stopped a mere footstep away from him her head slightly bowed, her hair was piled up on top of her head in a neat bun now._

"_I'm fine, are you alright?" The demon had appeared out of nowhere to attack them, he had pushed Kusabana to safety behind a large tree while he dealt with the hideous thing. Kusabana knelt down to pick up the package of healing herbs that she had dropped in the excitement and hugged it close to her chest, "Let's continue on, the village is expecting us by dark tonight." His golden eyes were locked on her face, she looked sad but she nodded slightly pinning her eyes on the ground again as he turned to start off, she followed a few steps behind. They started down the path again, Sesshomaru frowned, over the past year or so she had become a close companion and very rarely walked behind him on their trips to the village. When he heard her footsteps slow then stop he turned to see what had happened then raised an eyebrow slightly when he saw her crouched down to look at a flower, "Kusabana, what are you doing?" She let out a startled little squeak and peeked up at him._

"_I'm sorry; I've just never seen a flower like this one in a long time." She pointed to a small pink and red flower with five petals. "I haven't seen one since my village, they're very good for healing cuts and burns, and even heal the ailing or those in pain." She ran a fingertip over one petal lightly before carefully picking one of theflowers, "It also makes a relaxing lotion when mixed with certain herbs." Standing she stepped back onto the path._

"_I see, we should continue on." He waited for her to come forward to walk next to him, she stared at her feet for a moment then continued forward until she stood in front of him, "We still have a ways to go that means we won't be able to take any rest brakes." She smiled up at him slightly._

"_I'll be fine, promise." She went to tuck the flower in her obi only to have him take it from her to study it then simply tuck it into the base of her bun, the light pink and red colors was a perfect contras to the darker red color but matched the pink of her blush perfectly. The soft scent of the flower drifted up to him and he blinked, it was the same light flowery scent that always surrounded her. Without saying a word to the stunned woman he turned and continued on leaving her to hurry after him._

Sesshomaru frowned slightly, why had he been nice to that human so often? He stared down at the crushed remains of the fire flower; he remembered why he hated humans so much. They died too easily.

_Sesshomaru cut through another cat demon easily whirling about to hunt the burning village for the splash of red hair he knew too well._

"_Die!" he side stepped the claws aimed for his chest and raked his own poisonous claws across the demons abdomen turning back to his earlier task, hunting for Kusabana._

"_Kusabana?" he glided around a corner slaying another cat in the process, he continued to hunt for the human woman he'd developed an intense liking to, he didn't feel right without her beside him or near by anymore, "Kusa?" he stepped over a human body near the edge of the forest._

"_S..Sesshomaru…" the voice was so week he barely heard it but his head snapped in the direction of the voice, the voice that belonged to his woman. He found her half hidden behind a tree her bloodied body curled around the form of a small child who was crying loudly; Kusabana herself looked on the edge of death. Her pale face was scratched and bloody, her kimono was ripped all over, and she was practically soaked in blood and from still fingers hung the fighting fan Sora had given the woman for their trips._

"_Kusabana, how injured are you?" the red headed woman released the child who started crying harder and scooted closer to her, Sesshomaru frowned and grabbed her up setting her aside for the moment to look Kusabana over and let out soft sound close to a whimper. She wasn't going to make it; there was a huge hole though her side steadily loosing blood that seeped through the fingers of the hand she held tightly to it._

"_I'm sorry, but.. she was in trouble, I had to help her." Sesshomaru carefully gathered her up in her arms, she smiled up at him with sad pain filled eyes, "Thank you for being kind to me."_

"_Quiet, my father may be able to save you if I can get you there in time." Her bloodied finger tangled in his kimono and she looked at the girl on the ground._

"_No, save her. Be as kind to her as you have been to me, please." She stiffened in his arms her grip tightening in pain as he knelt back down with her._

"_Kusabana, she's just a…"_

"_Human, like me. You cared for me, care for her too." She lifted her hand and brushed her blood dampened fingers against his cheek with a small smile despite the fact that she had left a small smear of her blood on his cheek._

"_I couldn't possibly care for her in the way I do you Kusabana. But if it's your wish I will look after her." She smiled again and his cold demon heart warmed._

"_It is my last wish, I'm glad you care that much for me my lord." Her eyes started sliding closed; she was going on him, leaving him. His head dipped down and captured her lips with his own tasting her blood in the process, he couldn't say the way he felt in words to a human but he could show her how much he cared. When he lifted his head again she smiled at him one last time._

"_I love you Sesshomaru…" her whispered words were the last sound he ever heard from her lips. He roared his anguish to the heavens as he clutched her body close, her._

Sesshomaru worked his way back to the camp where little Rin was sleeping with Jaken watching over her. He had carried Kusabana's corpse back to the palace and buried her himself stubbornly placing her in his family grave yard even at the protest of his fathers' council, his father on the other hand had seemed to understand. The young girl that she had given her life to protect he took with him as well and placing her in the little room that had belonged to Kusabana although he never really talked to her about anything personal or let her get to close. In fact he had almost treated her with contempt; because of her his Kusa was dead. As the years had passed the girl had grown up and married one of the lesser demons and become the head of house cleaning serving directly under the old demon woman who practically ran the entire palace. But the child was now old herself, which was another reason he hated humans; they grew old and died just the same. He leaped into the air taking a seat on a lower tree branch and leaned back to stare up at the sky some more, it was his watch now and Jaken could get a few hours of sleep before they left again in their hunt for Naraku.

An hour later Rin giggled in her sleep and rolled over mumbling softly, "You have pretty red hair Lady….." she let out a sigh and snuggled closer to Ah-Un.

"InuYasha! Sit you pervert! You're as bad as Miroku!" InuYasha hit the dirt literally face first and growled as he glared up at the glowering Sango and Kagome. The group had decided to camp on a ridge that had a small hot spring nearby, the little paths were dangerous though, leading straight down over the mountain side.

"I wasn't spying ya idiot! I was headed here to tell ya we'll be leaving first thing in the morning, I got a hint on Naraku's scent!" he pealed himself out of his InuYasha shaped crater and stomped off into the forest. Kagome stared wide eyed after the silvery haired half demon her mind whirling, he had only flung one insult at her. She bit her bottom lip, she seemed to have actually hurt him with her insult, that thought alone caused her heart to clench painfully.

Kagome dunked herself under the water quickly rinsing her body and hair before clamoring out of the water. Scrambling around she got herself dried and dressed and took after the half demon she loved.

"Sorry Songo, I have to apologize!" she ran in the direction InuYasha had disappeared in, 'I really shouldn't have done that, I know he wouldn't peek on us like Miroku would. But after he yelled at me for taking those jewel shards like that and not killing that demon he really made me mad. I wish he would trust me more in the matter of the jewel.' She let out a happy gasp as she saw the red clad half demon, "InuYasha! Hey InuYasha wait up!" she saw him cross his arms over his chest and continue on actually speeding up, "InuYasha! Please, I want to….Ieeeee!" she tripped and stumbled on the path straight over the edge of the path and started to fall down the hill. Midfall strong arms wrapped around her putting a halt to her fall.

"Are you trying to kill yourself stupid!" InuYasha landed on the branch of a tree with her held tightly to his chest. She pushed away to glare up at him for a moment.

"Well if you had waited up I wouldn't have had to run like that and then I wouldn't have fell! All I wanted to say was that I was sorry for saying the S word!" she backed up a step from him careful not to loose her balance. His hands still held to her shoulders to be safe, he really worried too much.

"You idiot, you could have gotten yourself killed just to say you were sorry." He hugged her again pulling her close once more, "Don't do stupid stuff like that, you promised me." Kagome hugged back resting her forehead on his shoulder.

"I know, I'm sorry." She was sure he could hear the racing beat of her heart as easily as she felt his. Her dark eyes drifted shut at the same instant his golden ones did, both remembering the same moment.

"_You're such an idiot, you have wounds of your own yet you're taking care of mine." InuYasha slapped Kagome's hands away and sat up pushing her back to lean against the tree, "You don't heal as fast as I do, take care of yourself first." He picked up a roll of bandages and the wet cloth to start cleaning the cut that stretched along her forearm._

"_I'm fine, your wounds are more serious than mine Inuyasha." She tried to push his hands away but he brushed them away, "Just be still and let me take care of ya for once. You always take care of me, now let me finish this." Kagome was silent as he tended to her arm carefully cleaning and applying the correct ointments that she grudgingly handed him then bandaging it snugly._

"_There, are you happy now InuYasha? Now lay back so I can finish bandaging your wounds." She shrugged him away and pushed him back again to get back to work. The young half demon watched her small hands fix him up and bandage him easily her touch now light unlike it had been in the earlier days when she had first been learning._

"_How come you always take care of me before you do yourself?" Kagome paused blushing lightly her eyes far away for a moment._

"_Because I care about you InuYasha, I'll always take care of you." She went back to work a light blush blooming across her cheeks._

"_Always? You shouldn't say stuff like that; it sounds like a promise, one that can't be kept." She leveled her gaze on his stubbornly._

"_Yes it can and I will always take care of you InuYasha, as long as you allow me to." She flushed a darker red, "I promise." She tied off the bandaging and scooted back away from him, "I promised once that I'd stay with you and now I promise that I'll always take care of you." She leaned forward hugging him gently, he hesitated then hugged her back._

"_I'll always take care of you too Kagome.. just don't do anything stupid like that again." She nodded slightly._

"_I won't."_

Kagome pulled herself away from him, "The others are probably looking for me, I ran off kind of suddenly." InuYasha nodded and swung her up into his arms to spring back up to the path then sat her on her feet as he started to walk back towards the camp. Her eyes softened as she watched him a small smile tugging her lips upward, shaking her head slightly to clear her head she jogged forward to walk next to him, "So you said you caught a hint on Naraku, is that true?" he nodded.

"Yeah, one of his little minions screwed up, so it's just a step forward for us."


	4. Record Keeper

A/N: I dun own InuYasha….sadly….sniffles T.T

Alex: Hello again everybody! Nice to see ya'll again!

Sally: Meh, not really, she drug me here from my vacation.

Alex: Vacation my ass! If it were up to you you'd be on perpetual vacation!

Sally: Hey there's no such thing as too much of a good thing for a fairy.

Alex: V.V; See what I have to deal with, well anyway here's the next chapter, just so you guys know Sally made me rewrite it because she said the chapter that I wrote while she was gone sucked.

Sally: What can I say, you're useless without me.

Alex: Anyone got a flyswatter? Remember, reviews are a good thing.

Chapter 4:

The Record Keeper

A lone figure stood in the moonlight before the shimmering violet smoke that made up the boundaries of Naraku's barrier, her head bowed in thought just slightly. The pale moonlight made her form stand out in the land of death and shadows, her kimono itself seemed to glow with an unnatural light that faded into the darkness creating a nimbus around her form. Her pale pink kimono fell in ripples around her brushing and trailing along the ground only the shadows of the darker pink flowers painted on it gave it distinction, her red hair was styled strangely yet shimmered in the moonlight with the adornments that were fastened in place, the feathery strands of hair themselves shimmered as she moved lifting an arm covered by an exceedingly long sleeve.

Slowly her small pale hand tipped with dark nails appeared from the silky folds holding a rather large book, with a whispered word it floated free of her hand and opened in front of her, slowly her head raised the moonlight now caressing her pale smooth skin as well as causing the string of gems and beads on her forehead to shine, red bangs fell over the right side of her face hiding one of her large violet eyes, underneath her left eyes there were strange black swirling marks which trailed just slightly down the edge of her cheek.

She passed her hand over the floating book and the binding open the pages turning at a rapid rate until finally they stopped the pages glowing before her. With a small squeaking sound a small redish brown squirrel fled its sanctuary in her kimono sleeve to clamor its way up her sleeve to perch itself upon her shoulder to nuzzle her earring decorated pointed ear gently.

"Yes Aya, I know. He knows I'm here but I have a duty to perform." The words were softly spoken, almost nonresistant in the cool night air as she passed her fingers lightly down the pages words forming with a darker glow. The squirrel named Aya swished her tail irritably and made a soft sound herself glowering with dark eyes towards the edge of the barrier, a person stepped from the toxic mass.

"Who are you?" the cold voice of Kagura rang into the night disturbing the peaceful silence. With another wave of her hand the woman closed the book and took it back in hand.

"Who I am is not important but I do naught but my duty wind sorceress." Kagura had to strain to hear the softly spoken words as she watched the pale hand disappear with the book back into the long sleeve as she lowered her hand to her side.

"Well you're doing it in the wrong place lady, I don't know how you found this place but it has caused your death." Kagura lifted her fan and let it slide open.

"There is no need for this." The woman stood as still as a statue as well in front of Kagura her face and voice cool and emotionless.

"Yes there is you may not enjoy your life but I wish to keep mine. Dance of blades!" Kagura let out a growl as the woman switched smoothly from stillness to motion. Each movement was quick, sure, and fluid as her left hand rose quickly her hand reappearing to wrap around one of the jeweled spikes protruding from her hair, she pulled it free as the squirrel on her shoulder disappeared back into her sleeve. The pin shifted shape as she swung it down becoming thicker to form the hilt of the blade growing from the pointed end, with sure quick flicks of her wrist that caused her sleeve to bellow out from her arm as she knocked each arch of energy away from her. After each slammed into the ground she dropped her arm back to her side the sword still in her hand was mostly covered by her sleeve.

"I dislike fighting wind sorceress, please cease this." Her voice stayed the same soft emotionless tone and it brought pause to Kagura before she growled again she had her orders.

"Not until you're dead! Dance of blades!" she sent double the amount of energy blades at the woman who burst into motion without warning as the blades came within a foot of her form. Her body whirled and shifted, spinning away from the blades at the last possible second her red hair and kimonos billowing around her before easily using the flat of her blade to knock the energy slamming into the ground. She moved so quickly that Kagura had trouble following her until she was but inches away from her the tip of her sword barely touching the tender flesh of her neck.

"I am leaving now, please do not force me to kill you, I am not supposed to interfere with your fate." With that she was gone the blade shrinking down into a pin that she placed back into her hair as she walked away disappearing into the trees before Kagura could get her mind working properly again. Kagura blinked her redish pink eyes.

"Who or what was that?"

Kusabana pushed off of the ground as soon as she was out of the sight of demoness known as Kagura, as always the action seemed to happen in slow motion to her. She felt her feet slowly leave the ground as she gathered her demonic aura under her feet into a small misty cloud that carried her away quickly causing her clothing and hair to ripple around her body. She loathed fighting, there was no real point in it and others only got hurt. The woman named Kagura didn't relish in fighting either but she knew that if she didn't Naraku would end her life. She felt Aya move back up to her shoulder to touch her cheek lightly with her small nose. Kusabana turned her eyes to the forests passing beneath her feet and allowed herself to drift in no particular direction as her mind was drifting back to thoughts she had not looked at for a very long time, forcing them back to lock them away.

_She was floating, as light as air through nothing but darkness. She couldn't feel her body or any emotions she couldn't even think, her mind was completely blank except for one thought that surfaced slowly._

'_I didn't want to leave him.' Emotion flooded back into her and she sobbed out as her lilac eyes opened to shed their tears, she could move again, she curled up on her side and cried. Images of golden eyes and silver hair flooded through her mind along with the very fleeting memory of his anguished face as he held her body to him, 'I'd give anything to relieve his pain.'_

"_Anything human?" the gravely booming voice shook her to her very core and she leapt to her feet to stare up at four pair of glowing eyes, "Your answer?" she didn't even have to think._

"_Yes, anything." Her resolve was unwavering as she straightened herself in front of those eyes lifting her head proudly as she had seen him do so many times. She met those glowing eyes with her own unflinchingly._

"_What you say is true then you have a choice to make." The voice speaking now was different, decisively female if flowed gently over he like cool water._

"_What kind of choice?"_

"_The choices to stay like this and go to the underworld, or, to go back to the living world and have us relieve his pain." This voice was also female but more airy and almost hard to discern from the stillness around her._

"_I will see him again?" hope rose in her chest._

"_You will not, you will work for us and as long as you do he will feel no more pain over your death." The booming voice was back although a bit harshly._

"_Why? What can I possibly do for you?" she fought the urge to turn and run._

"_You will become our next record keeper, you will travel these lands for two thousand years and record all that you see. You will be forbidden to interact with anyone other than the protector that we will send with you." There was a pause, "Only you will be able to read the book, only you will be able to open it and add to it, if it should say that you do something you do it." This voice was different as well raspy and crackly like wood popping in a fir.._

"_Two thousand years? But I'm human, I won't live that long even if you have a way to bring me back to life." She finally backed up a step back from those four sets of eyes blazing down at her._

"_You will no longer be human; we will turn you into a deity demon and you will stay as such even after your time as record keeper is over. Only then will you be released to do as you wish." That was the smooth voice speaking softly as if to sooth her. Kusabana thought for a long moment before peering back up at those eyes._

"_He will no longer feel the pain of my death?"_

"_He will not, that pain will turn into something else." Booming voice again._

"_Let me see you first please." She straightened herself again finally noting that she still wore her blood soaked kimono, her wounds still gaping open yet they were no longer bleeding. There was a long silence before those eyes moved closer until she could see the long faces of four dragons. Each one was different in size and color, each set of eyes were just slightly different. The first was decisively male with golden green scales and a rich chocolate mane, his eyes were the darkest green she had ever seen and yet his beauty was only slightly marred by the long scar running across his muzzle. The next was sleek with a slender muzzle, silvery blue scales shimmered all different shades of blue as her blue green eyes studied her calmly; she tossed her head the dark aqua mane shifting about her neck. The next had flaming scales of all colors and shades of red, yellow, oranges, blues, even some whites. His red eyes glowed down at her hotly almost as if he were contemplating melting her flesh from her bones, his mane flared around his neck and head as if alive even as it shifted towards her she could tell that it was made out of living flames. The last dragon caused her breath to catch in her chest, its scales were iridescent having no true color as they shimmered, a silvery white mane matched silvery eyes as she lowered her massive head to stare straight at Kusabana._

"_Do you accept Kusabana?" That gentle airy voice again. Kusabana took a breath and nodded just slightly._

"_Yes. Anything to relieve his pain."_

"_Then so be it." All four had streamed forward on the frightened girl wrapping their long bodies around her smaller one for only moments before they backed away taking with them all that she had been and leaving someone new in her place. The conversion had began, white hot pain had snaked through her body taking her newly returned breath from her, she fell to her hands and knees as her wounds closed and any blemish on her body slowly disappeared any excessive fat was changed into muscle, black markings snaked their way along the left side of her face under her eyes and down her cheek. Pain laced through her right eye and a hand reached up to clutch that side of her face as the edges of the lilac coloring disappeared into red, the rounded pupil elongated into a reptilian slit. Her hands throbbed as her fingernails grew longer, more pointed before turning a dark scarlet color. Her body pulsed with demonic energy as the final changes took place, her teeth became sharper and longer in her mouth, her hair even grew another three or four inches to reach well past her knees. Finally it stopped leaving her kneeling naked and kneeling on the floor as she panted for air her long red hair hiding her mostly from view._

"_Aya, come. Clothe her and train her." And such she had met her protector and learned to use her new demonic powers. And soon they had given her the thick book she was to protect and keep to date for the next two thousand years of her life._

Kusabana felt her feet skim the ground before they touched down, she lifted her head and looked around, she was at the edge of the village where she had died. Aya touched her cheek again and she nodded slightly to the little squirrel, "I know, I shouldn't be here but I have to know." She made her way into the edge of the trees walking until she stood in the very spot where she had died. The elemental dragons had blocked most of her memories of that day but there was a way she could get them back, "Show me the past." She moved her bangs aside allowing that glowing reptile eye to see around her. She let out a gasp as she relived the pain of that night, the pain in his eyes as he held her dying body close to him, as he leaned down to caress her lips with his moments before she died, the painful admission she had made as she took her last breath. The eye even showed her the pain he had felt as he had watched her die. Kusabana found herself overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of love that welled in her chest, her face contorted in pain as the black rosary hidden on her right hand glowed to life burning deep grooves on her hand and arm all the way to her elbow. She shoved her emotions back and forced her face into a blank mask and slowly the rosary's burning heat faded. She turned quickly away from the place, "I have to get away from here, it hurts to much Aya." She lunged off of the ground and into the air allowing her mist to form under her to speed her away in a blur.

Kagome studied the shards in her hand that the demon woman had given her and frowned, she had felt the woman's demonic aura yet there had been no evil in her and very little tarnish in the shards, "Who was she?" there was a high pitched squealing sucking sound and a sharp pain in her cheek which she automatically raised a hand to smack. Myoga the flea floated down into her hand flattened.

"Oh….what a way to say hello to an old flea." He popped back into normal shape and looked up at her still thoughtful face, "Why what's the matter Kagome?" InuYasha's ears perked and he jumped from his perch in the tree Kagome was leaning against. The half demon had sensed her unease but had been unsure what the cause was.

"The demon who gave us these shards, I've never felt an aura quite like hers before. And she was almost kind."

"And she smelled like flowers, she had pretty red hair too." Shippo plopped himself into Kagome's lap, "She saved me from a nightmare." The little flea looked deep in thought.

"Could you possibly be talking about the Record Keeper?" they all stared down at him blankly, even Miroku and Songo who had joined in on the little group for the conversation.

"Record Keeper? Who's that?" Miroku sank down to be level with the little flea.

"She is the Record Keeper, a person appointed by the elemental dragon demon deities. She herself is a deity until her time is over, each Record Keeper walks the planes of man for two thousand years recording everything into a magic book, even things they couldn't possibly know with the help of a magic eye given to her by the dragon of wind. The new Record Keeper is said to have hair the color of a red sunset. It is also believed that she enters the nightmares of sick children to help them escape and heal. Record Keepers themselves usually stay far away from people and demons and most of them don't believe in fighting and are usually kind. It's also said that they were all once human who died in a certain way."

"What way would that be Myoga?" Songo spoke up her curiosity raising.

"They all died in love and sacrificing themselves for someone else be it that loved one or someone else. It's also believed that this new Record Keeper has ties with Lord InuYasha's brother Lord Sesshomaru." All eyes rose to meet in a surprised clash above the little flea.

A/N: Okay, that's the end of it because I'm too lazy to write anymore, please please please R&R because those reviews make me want to write more. A


	5. Plans, Thoughts, and Feelings

A/N: I dun own InuYasha darn it! pouts

Alex: Hey ya'll, got my first review and just one thing to say…..YAY! does a happy dance

Sally: You just had to send one didn't ya, now she'll never stop bugging you for more reviews.

Alex: I will not…..please send more reviews! bounces in her computer chair

Sally: Aaaaand on with the chapter!

Alex: And just so ya'll know I have a bad habbit of putting thoughts in '..' instead of italics which I use for flashbacks, dreams, and such. Anything that's telepathic will be in .. or …. On with the show, and for those who want to see Sesshomaru and Kusabana interact I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little while yet, remember she's not allowed to contact him of her own free will. . Besides I like suspense

Chapter 5:

Plans, Thoughts, and Feelings

Rin skipped ahead of Sesshomaru and their companions by several feet stopping every so often to pick a different flower that she added to the bouquet in her tiny hand . Sesshomaru watched the child closely even as he appeared to not care what she did, she let out a sudden squeal and dropped the flowers in her hands to dart behind him. He lifted his eyes to look at the woman standing in front of him.

"Kagura." His eyes narrowed at her as a slight breeze brought her scent to him, she smelled faintly of Naraku, wind, and.. "Fire flowers…" he barely spoke the words before he was in front of her his poisonous claws aimed for her throat, "Why do you smell of fire flowers?" he knew for a fact that fire flowers didn't grow in the region the were in at that moment.

'Fire flowers?' the words caught her as odd as she narrowed her eyes at him, 'I must still have the scent of that strange girl on me…' The next words she spoke out loud, "So what of it? Do you have a connection with that strange girl?" she bit out the last question her hand gripping her fan, if he knew her he knew where to find her and then she could kill her and save her own skin.

"What girl?" he stared at her blankly as he always did but this time it unnerved her.

"The girl who showed up at Naraku's barrier last night, I have orders to kill her before she can tell anyone where it is." She slid her fan open just slightly her eyes narrowing more as did his.

Sesshomaru stared at the incarnation in front of him, he could take her and make her tell him where that barrier was but his curiosity rose and he dropped his hand as she stepped away, "How did she find Naraku's barrier when not even I can find it?"

"I don't know, even Naraku doesn't know that's why he wants her dead….or partially dead. He thinks that he can gain more power if he absorbs her." She smirked, "She shouldn't be all that hard to find with that red hair of hers, it makes her stand out." Sesshomaru felt his stomach drop slightly. Another person, an enemy at that, was talking about a red haired woman.

"Red hair? That is an unusual color, even for a demon." He started forward as if uninterested, Rin still clinging to his pant legs.

"But Lord Sesshomaru what abou…." He silenced her with a golden glance; she let out a squeak and ducked back behind his legs again. He continued on until he was less than a foot away from her.

"You're acting strangely Sesshomaru, do you know this girl? Too bad if you do I value my life after all, but if you want to try to save her she disappeared in that direction." She nodded to the west with the slightest tip of her head before snagging a feather out of her hair, in a whirl of wind she took off on the enlarged object, "If you find her before I do tell her Naraku wishes her dead and that if I don't kill her he'll send someone worse than me."

Sesshomaru watched her go a small frown marring his otherwise handsome face, "A red haired woman…."

"It has to be Lady Flower! She came and talked to me in my dreams again! She's really very nice Lord Sesshomaru, you're not going to let Kagura kill her are you. We have to find her first!" Rin had scampered around to stand in front of him, large innocent eyes staring up at him in pleading adore. The image of pleading violet eyes filled his mind and he gritted his teeth against the pain that seared through his chest, "Please Lord Sesshomaru, we have to find her before Naraku does."

"Be silent silly child, this flower lady you dream of is merely a figment of your imagination! Stop pestering Lord Sesshomaru with such silly things." The little imp hopped from one foot to the other, he could smell the pain and anger radiating from his lord master, he let out a startled squawk as his lord turned in one smooth movement heading into the forests, turning towards the west, "Milord?"

"This requires some looking into, this girl knows the location of Naraku's barrier, we'll find her and get the information from her." His voice was as icy as ever but there was something else there, worry, pain? Jaken couldn't quite put his claw on it.

"Come on Ah-Un, or we'll be left behind. Master Jaken, are you not coming?" with a yelp the imp scurried to catch up walking next to his lord.

"I find this to be a strange turn in Lord Sesshomaru's character." The little imp went on mumbling as he scurried about the odd changes in his lords' personality until a booted foot stepped upon his head and drove him face first into the dirt.

"Care to repeat that Jaken? I wish to hear not another word from you." The little imp scrambled at the dirt until his lord walked on leaving a footprint on his servants head.

"You should had kept yourself quiet Master Jaken." The child giggled and jogged after her lord the rains to Ah-Un clutched in a tiny hand.

'Oh even I, his vassal, cannot fathom the changes in milord Sesshomaru.' Jaken thought the words instead of speaking them as he crawled out of the small dent in the ground he had made and trudged after his companions.

Kohaku had to force back the bored sigh that threatened to break free, his eyes slid to the still recuperating Naraku that floated with Hakudoshi in the center of the room. It was hard to keep his face blank and stare vacantly ahead as if he were still an obedient servant of the evil half demon.

"Kohaku." The deep purring voice of Naraku caused him to turn his head slowly to look at the demon, it took everything he had not to sneer at him.

"Yes?" he made his voice dull and drone like, as it always had been before he had regained his memories.

"I want you to go help Kagura find that girl, the one with red hair; I want to meet the one who found this place so easily. She headed to the west, start there." There was an evil glint in his red eyes to go with the cruel smirk that decorated his face. Kohaku nodded and stood picking up his weapon he headed out the door and stepped through the barrier before he started through the clearing. Only when he was far away from the barrier did he let his face crease into a frown, Naraku was overly worried about this demon woman, 'Either he's worried that she knows where his heart is or she's powerful enough that he wants to add her to his body.' The thought was indecisive yet had a ring of truth to it because he knew that Naraku wanted the girl for one of the two reasons.

The image of his sister flashed in his mind, he would kill Naraku and set things right even at the cost of his own life. He leaped into the trees and continued on his way following the setting sun. He would find that girl, that demon and find out what was so pressing that Naraku meet her, if she was strong and he thought to devour her Kohaku would kill her.

Songo sighed as she felt the cool water envelop her legs then her hips and waist; she needed this swim to help clear her mind. As of late her mind had been filled with thoughts of her brother, and of a certain perverted monk, what made her feel guilty was that she thought of the monk more than her own brother. She dunked herself under the water wetting her hair and shoulders, surfacing she shivered slightly then sighed again. The summer heat was getting to them all, even Kagome had forgone her normal uniform for shorts and a kind of stretchy top that she called a halter.

Songo shook her head; her friend sometimes struck her as odd with the things she brought back from the future but she did have to admit, the clothing looked far more cooler and comfortable than the slayers uniform and kimono she wore all the time. Taking a deep breath she started to swim a few strokes out into the river forcefully turning her thoughts away from her friend and to the tasks that lay ahead of her.

'I have to free Kohaku from Naraku and the jewel shard, but to do that would mean his death…' with a stab of pain in her chest she surfaced in the center of the river and lay back floating as she stared up at the slowly moving clouds that graced the sky, 'But I'm sure death would be better for him than living under Naraku's hold. And after I kill Naraku and Kohaku I'll kill myself.' The monks face flashed in her mind, a kind warm caring look on his face. Her heart beat a little faster and a stab of loss crept its way through her chest and stomach, 'But if I kill myself then I have to leave all of my friends behind, but it's unfair for Kohaku to die because of me, he's the last of my family.' She frowned, that wasn't true, Kagome and the others were her family. Perhaps not by blood but in the heart they were her family.

'Gods this is so confusing, my heart is so tangled that I can't do what I have to do and avoid hurting them all. A soft splash caught her attention and she sat up quickly, in time to see the retreating violet of a certain monk's robes, "Miroku you hentai!" she was out of the water and dressed in only a few seconds and had a knocked out monk to show that she had caught the culprit. She entered the encampment her face red and her body more tense than it had been when she had made her way to the river to relax.

"Monk did it again didn't he?" InuYasha's cocky words only drew him a flaming death glare from the slayer, he just smirked while Kagome giggled a little uncomfortably.

"Stupid idiot, he'll never learn." Shippo muttered the words as he continued to draw ignoring the glare she turned on him. And such was a day in her life, she sat down huffily as Miroku drug his half conscious self back into the camp with hi staff a rather large lump on his head.

"Aww, Lady Songo why did you do that, it was just a harmless peek." There was a loud crack and everyone was silent as the monk slid back to the ground a large boomerang still balanced on the dent now placed in his skull. Kirara tilted her head and let out one of her soft mews before curling up in her friends lap with a purr almost as if applauding the violence of the slayer whose lap she had commandeered for her bed.

_Rin kept her eyes tightly shut as she fought to summon up the flower field again, she needed to talk to Lady Flower again. She brought the image of the forest surrounding the field in a perfect circle, of the sunlight dappling through the trees, of the clouds casting long shadows over the colorful floor of flowers, and lastly she brought to mind the image of Lady flower in her flowing kimono and pretty red hair. Feeling worry well up in her heart she sent out a soft prayer, 'Please be safe and there when I open my eyes Lady Flower.' Steeling herself to open her eyes and only see the field she took a deep breath and let her eyes open slowly. She let out a happy laugh of relief, there sitting in the center of the field was Lady Flower watching her with a steady violet gaze._

_Rin ran forward laughing all the while until she landed on her knees in front of the older woman, "Lady Flower! I was so afraid that you wouldn't be here this time, bad people are after you and I was afraid that they had gotten you!" Rin lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the waist of the woman who let out a soft gasp of surprise before wrapping her sleeve covered arms around the girl. Rin took a deep breath to take in the soft gentle scent of the woman who held her, 'She smells like that red flower that she had me give Sesshomaru when I was sick." Rin nuzzled her nose against the woman's shoulder._

"_What do you mean bad people are after me little Rin?" Lady Flower stroked her hair lightly with a slender hand._

"_That evil demon Naraku sent Kagura the wind sorceress to kill you because you know where the barrier is!" Rin sat up straight, "Even Lord Sesshomaru is worried even if he doesn't admit it." She blinked as she saw a flare of pain in Lady Flower's eyes, "What's wrong? I didn't say something wrong did I?" Rin sat back releasing the woman quickly. Lady Flower shook her head and touched her cheek lightly._

"_No you didn't, Lord Sesshomaru thinks that I'm a figment of your imagination doesn't he?" the child nodded._

"_He acts all funny when I talk about you, and Master Jaken just says that I need to stop pestering him." She trailed off for a moment before she blurted out the question she had waited to ask for days, "Are you Kusabana?" she clapped both hands over her mouth as the woman's filled with tears. She nodded only once before speaking again._

"_Yes, I was Kusabana a long time ago. I think it would be wise to listen to Master Jaken, don't speak of me anymore to Lord Sesshomaru if it causes him pain." Rin nodded and reached up to brush away the lady's tears with her small hands._

"_I won't talk about you anymore I promise, please don't cry anymore. Will I still be able to come see you?" the thought of not seeing the beautiful woman ever again made her sad and scared, Lady Flower nodded once again, "Oh good! Can we pick flowers, I made you a pretty bouquet but I lost it when Kagura scared me." She stood and held a hand out to the woman. They spent the rest of her sleep picking flowers in the meadow, talking, and even playing a game of chase with the butterflies._

"Rin! Rin you silly child wake up or we'll leave you here." Rin frowned as she was shaken awake by the imp, she frowned up at him.

"You woke me from a nice dream Master Jaken." She pouted the entire time she got ready to leave with them, she even took to riding Ah-Un and ignoring the little imp only answering when she had to, she hadn't been ready to leave Lady Flower in the meadow when he had woken her. She wanted to learn more about the beautiful demoness and what had caused her to be so sad.

A/N: Sorry if this chapter was a bit choppy, it didn't come as easy as the last one, and I was trying to get into some of the characters instead of just Sesshomaru, Kusabana, InuYasha, and Kagome. As I have said reviews are greatly appreciated and please don't be afraid to send me a personal e-mail, 9times out of 10 I'll reply even if it's just some silly question or an idea you think I should think about placing in the story. Also my website should be up and running in a few days it'll have my profile and a page for each fic I'm going to be doing, even this one which will have the reference pic of Kusabana on it as well because…..well I love fan art! Well that's all for tonight, next update should be next Sunday as well as the web address for my sight which will also be on my profile page. Laters! A


	6. Hurt

A/N: I dun own InuYasha!

Alex: Hello again! I'm back with another chapter and some news!

Sally: In other words she's going to ramble and you will just skip this and never even know what it says.

Alex: Sally! Anyway, for news: My website is now up and going please visit it at  it has a few fun pages on Me, Sally, and even my fanfics both posted and non. And coming soon are a yahoo group for we fanfic writers and rpers and a forum for whatever ya'll want it to be for. Also for those of you who play and know what Furcadia is I will soon have a dream there in the Imaginarium called CCAlex's Book Shop and my characters name is Alex Cheshy so ya'll may catch me there sometime if you hunt around a bit and if you're lucky you just might be able to catch Sally there too.

Sally: Hey don't bring me into this! Covers Alex's mouth before she can say anything else On with the chapter, it's titled hurt because it depicts so many kinds of the word….actually we couldn't figure out what to title it!

Chapter 6:

Hurt

Kagome sighed as she entered the well house a slightly peeved half demon behind her, she had stayed a day later than she said she would and she was paying for it. He had practically kidnapped her off of the street and drug her home and if her friends hadn't been focused on Hojo they would have seen InuYasha jump onto the rooftops with her.

"Jeeze InuYasha I only stayed a day later, the girls invited me to a party and I couldn't miss it!" she pouted over her shoulder at him, he only let out a huff of angry breath.

"We have to find Naraku stupid! We don't have time for parties!" Kagome put on the breaks digging her heels into the dirt floor at his biting tone. She turned and glared up at him, he constantly drug her away from her time all the while griping about the search for Naraku and the Sacred Jewel.

"I don't have time for parties but you have plenty of time to run to Kikyo every chance you get!" at the guilty look on his face her anger grew, "I knew it, you saw her while I was here didn't you!?" hurt crept in with the anger. She felt tears sting her eyes and turned away from him back towards the well, "I'm glad I'm so important to you InuYasha." There was a fair amount of scorn in her tone and she heard InuYasha stammer behind her.

"K..Kagome, that's not true and you know it!" he dropped the backpack in his hand and grabbed hold of her shoulders forcibly turning her back to face him, she wouldn't lift her head to look him in the eyes, she was hiding the tears in her eyes. What surprised her was that he shook her just slightly, "You are an idiot, I saw Kikyo yes but only to ask what she knew of this Record Keeper person. She knew little except that Naraku will probably want to absorb her for the dragon eye and the power to read that book."

She blinked up at him the tears clinging to her lashes finally fell down her cheeks, InuYasha blinked then looked panicked. He quickly let go of her his face pale, "Kagome please don't cry!" he caught her up in a hug, "Please don't cry, I'll do anything just don't cry!" Kagome blinked a few times as he held her close his strong arms wrapped around her shoulders, slowly her arms raised to wrap around his waist lightly, she rested her forehead on his shoulder.

"InuYasha, I'm sorry, I'm not crying anymore you can let go, I'm fine." A bold faced lie but she wasn't going to put him through anymore of a public display of affection than she had to. However he didn't let go, instead he rested his cheek against the top of her head causing her to freeze her heart stalling in her chest before it started beating twice its normal speed.

"Don't ever think that you don't mean anything to me Kagome." She felt a clawed hand sink into her hair, "Kagome, how could you ever think that you're not important, if the party is that important..." she pulled away from him just slightly to peer up into his face with wide dark eyes.

"I miss my friends from this time InuYasha, but it's not all that important." InuYasha stared down at her his mind was in chaos, his heart was beating as if he had just finished a fight with Sesshomaru. His chest was too tight and his head was foggy as he took in the fruity scent of Kagome's shampoo he wanted to tighten his arms around her to draw her closer, his hand itched to tighten in her hair and bring her face up to his so that he could press his lips to hers. The memory of her lips against his as she brought him out of Kaguya's spell, 'I want to kiss her again, this time for just our reasons not because of some spell.' He watched her eyes widen slightly as he pulled her closer, something buried deep inside him roared to life demanding, he recognized it as his demon half. It was fighting against the Tetsiga for control, it wanted Kagome.

Kagome felt her stomach drop away as he drew her nearer using the hand buried in her hair to tilt her head back slightly to draw her face closer to his, she watched his golden eyes mist into a darker shade. His breath fanned over her lips and a shiver worked its way down her spine, 'He's going to kiss me!' she let her eyes begin to drift closed, his lips were a hairbreadth away from hers when someone shouted her name.

"Kagome! Kagome, have you left yet!?" Grandpa's voice was just outside the well house door, they sprang apart just as the door slid open, both of their faces flushed bright red, "Oh good your still here, I meant to give you this." he held up his wrinkled old hands that supported a long loop of black beads mixed with what looked to be small silver carved fang shaped beads, "It's a special rosary meant to hold demons." InuYasha let out a sound between a yelp and a gasp and slid behind Kagome as he watched the rosary with weary eyes.

"InuYasha?" Kagome blinked back at the almost cowering person behind her.

"It's a black rosary." He growled the words, "You need to destroy it Kagome, those things are bad news, they're cruel and used by only dark priests and priestesses." He glared at her grandfather.

"Black rosary, kind of like the spell on you?" he shook his head.

"No, worse, these cause pain in so many ways. Any demon who is cursed with one eventually dies because it burns its way into their bodies." He shuddered and bent to pick up her backpack his ears pinned back against his head.

"How do we destroy it?" her grandfather's mouth dropped open.

"Destroy one of the family shrine heirlooms!" Kagome snagged the rosary from his hands quickly and turned to the well jumping onto the ledge with InuYasha.

"Thanks grandpa, if something this bad is still around it's up to us to get rid of it!" they jumped together the blue light enveloping them, Kagome's thoughts turned back, 'Was he really going to kiss me?' she blinked as she felt an arm snake around her waist and tilted her head to blink up at the half demon staring intently forward. She hid a sigh, 'I must have imagined it, he'd never do that.'

Kagura smirked just slightly, she floated well above the small hidden valley that the red headed woman called temporary home. She watched the red dot move around below and drifted off to one side then down to be face level with the young demon slayer almost invisible in the tree he had hidden himself in.

"She's here, about time those lesser demons tips paid off." She landed on the branch beside him and placed the feather back in her hair, "She'll probably pick up on us soon, but Naraku wants her alive." She sneered the half demons name. Kohaku only nodded and dropped silently to the forest floor and made his way towards the valley cove.

Kusabana froze as a searing pain passed through her right eye; she stumbled and brought a hand up to cover it under her bangs, "Show me." The words were whispered and another shock of pain burst through her skull as present events flooded her minds eye. Two people were headed into her valley, they were coming for her to take her to Naraku. She whirled the dark blue of her under kimono flaring around her, "Aya." The small squirrel appeared instantly from the small shack that served as their shelter, "We have to leave, they're here." The squirrel disappeared into the house and came back with her pink kimono, blue obi, book, and a small cloth pack clutched in her tiny teeth dragging it along the grassy ground until Kusabana stooped down to swoop all of the items into her arms.

She gathered her demonic aura under her and felt her feet begin to lift off of the ground, she looked forlornly at the small valley that had been her part time home over the past twenty years; she would probably never see it again. The ground fell away as she gained more air and she slipped her kimono on leaving the obi streaming from her hand along with the book and the small bag as Aya clamored onto her shoulder.

"Get back here!" there was a swirl of wind around her and she looked down to see a furious Kagura shooting up to meet her. She grabbed hold of the only thing she had left, the thick blue rope that held her hair up, without the pins in place she couldn't form her sword. She tugged the rope and felt it give sending her hair tumbling free as she wheeled the object filling it with her demonic aura as she lashed out with the new energy whip.

"Leave be wind sorceress." She let her tone turn icy as the other woman fended off her attacks with her fan. Kusabana suppressed the gasp of surprise that threatened to escape as a cold object penetrated her demon cloud to wrap around her slender ankle, with a quick snap of the whip she severed the chain and sent herself backwards, her one thought was of escape. If Naraku ever absorbed her the demon race would be in trouble, she gritted her teeth, she knew what it would cost her. With a flare of her demonic aura her cloud formed from a mist into a comet around her that spirited her far away leaving not a trace behind. She felt the searing pain in her right arm and fought for her consciousness as her vision dimmed, when she could go no farther she let her comet disappear into a mist that gave way as her mind slipped into darkness and she dropped from the sky.

The series of loud crashes that echoed through the forest caught the attention of the old woman who was pulling an herb next to a large tree, "What in the world…" she moved as quickly as her old bones would allow her over tree roots and through thick bushes. Finally she found the spot where the chaos had taken place, branches lay in a mess in shrubbery as sunlight beamed down on something laying still in the middle of the mess. Blood streaked her pale slender body and kimonos, her red hair lay around her in a tangled mess full of twigs, leaves, and even vines. Sure she was dead the old woman stepped closer only to gasp in surprise, the woman's chest still rose and fell although unevenly. It was then that the woman noted the slightly pointed ears and slight fangs peeking from the red lips of the woman, "Oh my heavens, you're a demon, and your still alive."

There was an angry chattering sound and a rustle of the demon woman's clothing before a furry head appeared to hiss at the woman, "Don't you worry little one, I'm going to help your friend." Bending with a groan she slid the woman's arm around her frail shoulders and lifted blinking in surprise when she found that the woman weight very little, the squirrel followed close behind dragging a dark blue rope, a blue obi, and a small cloth bag. The old woman sighed, "I do have my work cut out for me if I am to fix you up."


	7. Black Rosary

A/N: sobs I dun own InuYasha, but Kusabana, Aya, and Ikoku are mine, dun steal them! But if you like them that much I might let you borrow them……maybe not…..maybe if you ask really really really really really nicely…..

Alex: Hello all! I'm back again!

Sally: So we can see.

Alex: Oh hush, anyway it's going to be a while longer until I get the group and the forum up and going, blame work! I swear I'd spend all my time writing if I could but I have to work! sobs

Sally: Oh quit lying, you'd lay on your butt and read or watch anime all damned day and you know it.

Alex: traps Sally in her discarded hoodie I just wanted to say that, for those of you who wanted to see Inu and Kags kiss, I love building up tension as I have with Kusa and Sesshy. I'm trying to stay as true to character as I can although I may slip every now and again, the reason for the tension is it keeps ya'll coming back to read my stuff……aaaaand possibly send me reviews…gives big puppy dog eyes They give me liiiiiiiiife. Anywho on with the chapter!

Chapter 7:

Black Rosary

Miroku sighed and rubbed the red hand print on the right side of his face, once again his wondering hand had gotten him in trouble with his fiancée, but at least she hadn't chosen to clobber him instead. He suppressed a smirk, one day he would get past that last barrier of shyness that she kept firmly in place between them. In truth he only hit on other women to get a rise out of his beautiful demon slayer, he loved to see her eyes spark with anger as she became possessive of him.

He bit back the chuckle that threatened to erupt from his lips; he was one to talk about being possessive. More than once he had caught another man admiring her and he knew that he had sent each and every one of them a look that would have melted flesh from bone and had to fight the urge to suck them into his hand. He rested his head back against the wooden siding of the hut he leaned against only to be startled upright again by the excited squeal of the carrot topped fox demon as he ran for the edge of the forest. Apparently Kagome and InuYasha were back from their venture into Kagome's time.

Sango appeared at the door of the hut and blinked into the sunlight, "I take it Kagome is back." Miroku nodded as he stood dusting his robes off as Sango stepped outside next to him. He gulped as he felt the familiar tingle in his right hand as it twitched towards her bottom, "Do it bouzo and I'll personally beat you into a bloody mess." The words were hissed at him, apparently the dark haired beauty was still angry with him.

"My dear Sango, how long will you stay angry with me. I swear to you it's the hand not me, my intentions are more than honorable." He pleaded with her smiling brightly mixing it with dark pleading puppy eyes.

"Not going to work this time monk, Kagome looks a bit flushed, let's go see how their visit to her time went." The small conniving smirk on her face almost made the monk groan, she was planning again. With a sigh he followed the dark haired woman his mouth tilting up in a grin as he pinned his eyes on the sway of her hips.

Kagome just knew her face was as red as Shippo's hair as the young demon pounced into her arms, "Kagome! I'm so glad you're back! Did you bring me anything, why's your face so red, did InuYasha make you angry again?" Kagome smiled as the kit rambled on and cast a glance at the hanyou beside her. His eyebrow was twitching in irritation, a flurry at the edge opposite edge of the town as a young lad came into view riding bear back upon a roan mare.

"Where is the Priestess Keade?" he pulled on the old rope halter he had been clinging to to pull the horse to a halt, "Please, please tell me where she is, there is a stranger in our village that has been badly injured." A child bounced forward from the gathering crowd.

"Lady Keade's hut is just over there, she should be in…" the lad kicked the horse into motion and bounded off of it before he even took the time to pull the animal to a halt, he hit the dusty ground in a run towards Keade's hut.

"What do you suppose that's all about?" Sango watched the display curiously."

"Feh, some person in the other village is hurt, apparently their priestess needs help healing her. Kagome you still have that thing!" no one noticed the slightly twitching noses of the half demon and the fox demon as they picked up on the demon scent the boy left as he hurried through the town. InuYasha's eyes landed on the black rosary dangling from the girls fingers.

"Gah! Kagome what are you doing with that thing!" Miroku's eyes widened and he made a grab for the vile black thing she pulled it from his reach, "Kagome! That thing needs to be destroyed!" she shook her head.

"Not until I talk to Keade." She tucked the rosary into her backpack which was slung over InuYasha's shoulder and the half demon visibly shuddered as they headed towards the hut.

Keade listened to the young man who bowed just slightly in front of her and suppressed a smile, he was nervous and still yet a pup in his own rights. In fact pup was the perfect word for him, her senses had picked up his jackal blood as soon as he'd entered the village, "Please priestess, Lady Ikoku fears that the girl won't live much longer if not treated with the right herbs, her demon powers aren't healing her and we've yet to discover why. The squirrel she keeps with her won't let anyone remove her kimono to see how serious the wounds are."

"A squirrel? Such a little thing to keep a human or demon from treating the girl."

"Tis a strange squirrel, I believe Lady Ikoku said she was a fox squirrel." With a light blush the boy muttered quietly, "And she has very sharp teeth and claws." The old woman stood with a slight groan and made her way to the corner where she picked up an herb sack and her bo.

"Very well child, let us go back to yer village." She turned just as the others entered, "Ah, there ye are Kagome, I hope ye will all be alright, I'm afraid that I have to go help the neighboring priestess with a patient of hers. I will be back in a few days if ye wish to wait to depart." With that the old woman left the hut with the lad trailing behind her. Kagome blinked at the door.

"Well, I guess we'll have to wait for her to come back. We have to ask her about that rosary."

"Feh." InuYasha flopped into the corner and began digging into the backpack for a cup of ramen.

Ikoku's brow furrowed in worry as the woman laying on her futon shifted again as if caught in a dream from which she couldn't wake from. She rinsed the cloth again and placed it upon the girl's forehead, "She must be a demon to have lived this long in such a state, yet you will not let me help her little one." She spoke to the little squirrel who sat dutifully next to her companion one small paw on the visible hand of the girl.

"Lady Ikoku! Lady Kaede is here!" the old woman stood at the sound of the villagers voices, she pushed aside the door flap to greet the older priestess.

"Lady Kaede, I'm glad that you decided to come, I fear that the girl will die if not treated." Ikoku led the woman into the hut and to the side of the girl where she knelt down to check the cloth. Kaede was beside her in a few moments checking over the girl when her hands went to the kimono to part it the squirrel let out an angry hiss and scratched at her hand.

"Quiet ye creature, if you want ye mistress to die then deny me the act of healing her." She picked the squirrel up by it's scruff and handed it to Ikoku even as it wiggle and scratched at her, "Wrap her in a cloth so that she may not free herself." She turned back to the woman and began stripping her of the two kimono's she wore tossing them to the side to be cleaned and minded, "Oh my, ye must have had a nasty fall to gain all of these cuts…..ye gods!" her hand shot out to grab the girls right hand, there twined up her arm was a long string of black beads with silver fangs interrupting the black every so often, "A black rosary! And it's already burned into her flesh; it would take a strong priestess to take this from her…." Keade frowned as she thought upon the subject of the black rosary wondering what its trigger was, if it was a word or a certain power that the girl had once used to hurt others.

"Let us clean her Lady Keade, who knows why some dark priest or priestess placed that accursed thing on her, we'll have to ask her when she wakes." Kaede nodded and together they set about cleaning and dressing the wounds that didn't seem to be healing in the least.

It took a long while to clean the blood from the pale flesh an treat each scratch as well as bandage the worse ones. Then all that was left was to wait for the girl to wake.

He had found the spot easily, somehow some old building skeletons still stood held together by climbing vines. Small rises to one side of the grass covered paths were small bumps, each marking a grave.

"What is this place?" he didn't answerer the annoying high pitched voice, he turned instead and made for the tree line his heartbeat speeding slightly with each step he took towards that accursed place. He lifted his hand to brush back a low hanging branch and stepped into the spot, a sharp pain throbbed in his chest and he narrowed his eyes as the lingering scent of someone tickled his nose. It was light with a hint of sakura and the even lighter scent of flames, fire flowers. He glared down at Tenseiga, if he had had the Tenseiga the he could have saved her, useless now to do so.

"Lord Sesshomaru? Where are we." Rin peered under the branch but didn't come any closer much wiser than the imp who scrambled under the branch only to be kicked back out.

"Don't come in here if you value your life Jaken." The imp nodded dazedly and flopped backwards again to pass out in bliss.

"Why does this place fill so sad?" Rin's brow furrowed as she thought it over, it was silent, no birds chirping, no rustling of animals in the brush, only a very slight breeze moved the still air. There was a large feeling of sadness that kept it all silent, pain mixed in with the sadness and there was a patch of ground that was bare of anything except for the slight ring of red flowers.

"Because someone died here."

_The world was dark and misty, she was trapped wrapped in white strips of cloth wound tightly around her form. In front of her stood the administer of her demise, it was made of little more than inky black shadows with brilliant red eyes and when its maw opened it showed lines of silvery jagged teeth that latched onto her left arm digging until the blood turned the cloth scarlet. She opened her mouth to scream although no sound emerged._

"_Your screams are music to me." It spoke in a faintly female voice as it lifted its head teeth dripping blood, "You will die and I will gain your powers and body, I will live again."_

Ikoku frowned worriedly as the woman tossed in her sleep, the black rosary on her arm was glowing yet not burning deeper into her flesh, something was wrong with that rosary, it was to dark. Someone had laid a curse on this girl and she would get to the bottom of it. The squirrel had been released and curled on the girl's stomach watching her worriedly, there was a soft groan and the girl shifted slightly before her visible eye opened slowly before she snapped up into a sitting position her long scarlet hair floating around her shoulders. Her head turned and she stared at Ikoku her violet eye wide before she looked around the room then down at herself, her eyes landed on her left arm and she slid it under the blanket to hide the rosary there.

"You finally awaken girl, we were worried that you never would. Are you hungry?" the girl shook her head, "Thirsty?" another negative shake, "In pain." Another shake although it was hesitant, with a slight breath the girl opened her mouth to speak in a very soft quiet voice.

"Where are my clothes ma'am?" Ikoku blinked then frowned.

"You are in no shape to go anywhere girl, you best lay back and rest. Besides your clothes are being cleaned and minded they were covered in blood and rips." Ikoku shuffled to her feet and brushed the wrinkles out of her clothing, "I'll bring you some food and drink girl….what is your name I can't go on calling you girl." She waited but the girl didn't supply a name only stared at the door longingly.

Miroku stared with trepidation at the black beaded horror that lay on the hut floor in the semi-circle they had created, all but InuYasha and Shippo who seemed to be hiding nearer to the corner away from the evil thing.

"So anything could be the trigger to activating the rosary?" Kagome tilted her head at Miroku who nodded glaring down at the offending item.

"Yes, dark priests and priestess used them when they couldn't stop a demon. Much like normal priestesses used a sealing arrow they used a dark rosary. It doesn't kill the demon until later and it's much more painful. The priest or priestess would set the spell using one or more things to activate it such as a certain ability or emotion as the trigger, when it is triggered the rosary will burn into the flesh of the demon if they don't learn to curb the trigger and not use it. Eventually it burns completely into their flesh becoming more painful as it does so after that the silver beads push a purifying poison through the demon killing it slowly and painfully, they just waist away. That's why we destroy every single one that we find and remove the ones that we can from demons that have changed." Kagome and Sango both shuddered

The thought of some poor person having one of those wrapped around them somewhere burning into them to bring about a slow death.

"I'll destroy it as soon as Keade gets back if you'll help too Miroku." The monk nodded and the two demons who had finally slid all the way back into the corner sighted with relief.

A/N: Okay ya'll that chapter ended a little choppily but oh well I try. A beta reader would be nice. I feel like crap because I think this chapters sucks to me sobs so reviews telling me how bad it sucks would be nice maybe I'd try harder. Reviews would be really really really really really nice tho! gives big teary puppy dog eyes.


	8. For the First Time

A/N: I dun own InuYasha pouts darned copyrights….Sally where'd you put the flame thrower!

Sally: And we're back again, since Alex has had a nuclear meltdown and is hunting for my flame thrower (Which is hid very well so no fear) I guess it's up to me to do all this dumb stuff here and tell you about the up and coming. So far she only has her website up and running, the yahoo group is half finished just as is the Furcadia dream. She wanted to say that in the bookshop there will be three other rooms for anyone who wishes to beta read for her or rolls her eyes do fan art. God forbid she got off her lazy rear and do it herself, I guess I just forget that she's insane and thereby unable to actually think. Also I found the 'accidents' she made, the black rosary is on Kusabana's right arm not her left.

Alex: I heard that! Where's the freaking fla…..found it!

Sally: Crap…run.

Alex: And now on with the chapter, if you dun give me reviews I'm gonna come toasty shoooooo! waves the fame thrower around like a mad person

Chapter 8:

For the Fist Time…

Kusabana watched Ikoku as she moved about the tiny hut that they were housed in, in the two days she had been there she hadn't been allowed to move from her bed for anything but personal needs. She suppressed a frustrated growl and patted Aya instead before lifting the squirrel to whisper to her then sat her down so that the squirrel could run outside to do the task she had been set. Kusabana turned her violet eye on the priestess who was watching her, a bowl of stew in her hands.

"You still will not tell who attacked you, Lady Keade already told me of how powerful you really are, she could feel it hidden deep inside you although I could only feel slight tremors." Ikoku sighed when the girl didn't reply to her with a single word she placed the bowl next to her and stood again picking up a basket, "I shall be back soon girl, try to rest some more." The older woman disappeared out the door at the same time Aya came back in with several different kinds of flowers in her mouth. The little squirrel jumped into her lap and sat the flowers down before moving to push the book next to Kusabana.

"Thank you Aya, please watch the door for me." She picked up both the flowers and the book, with a sigh she blew a soft breath over the petals turning them red before they burst off of the stems to stream through the door towards their target.

Rin fed more dry wood to the small fire Jaken had started for her so that she could cook the fish caught from a nearby stream, she turned her dark head and stared worriedly at the darkly shadowed spot where her lord had stayed since they got there. He was searching for something, she knew it, she had even seen the light footprints in the bared spot from the edge of the cove.

"Rin, silly girl you're getting those to close to the flames." Jaken's voice brought her back into herself as she moved the fish away slightly a small frowned pulled her lips downwards. Lord Sesshomaru was acting weird, Jaken was sulking, and she hand't seen Lady Flower in her dreams the night before, she was worried for the gentle demoness.

"Master Jaken, do you really think that I was dreaming of Lady Flower?" Jaken blinked at the sullen question from the normally energetic child.

"Most defiantly, there is no way anyone can get into someone else's dream demon or not." The little green imp crossed his arms and glowered into the flames. Rin watched the fish cook her mind wondering, ever since the first time she had met Lady Flower in her dreams she had seen the gentle woman every night, it was like having her mother back again. She turned the fish so that the other side of it would cook and glanced to the trees again and frowned, she didn't think Lord Sesshomaru was even there anymore or at least it didn't feel like he was still there. She frowned and turned her eyes back to the fish watching it cook; she let her mind drift into blankness just as a very slight breeze began to creep its way through the still night air.

'_Rin.'_ The soft voice in her head caused her to jerk her head up, she looked around trying to find the source of the whispery voice, _'Rin.'_ It was louder this time and she found that it was coming from inside her head, _'Don't be afraid Rin.'_ It was a soft warning before a light wind rose brining with it scarlet flower petals that swirled around her slight body then settled over her, their light scent made her sleepy and she lay down and curled up her eyes began to drift closed, she faintly heard Jaken calling her name and then for Sesshomaru before she was drawn into a deep sleep.

_The clearing was dark this time, the flowers wilting as storm clouds gathered over head shutting out all light; a strong wind blew sending flower petals whirling through the air. Thunder rumbled overhead and the air seemed to grow colder causing Rin to shiver, "La..Lady Flower?" she stammered fearfully._

"_I'm here little Rin." Rin whirled around and let out a gasp, Lady Flower there but she looked hurt and sad. Gone was her beautiful pink and white silk kimono replaced by white strips of cloth bound tightly around her entire body ending at her throat and right shoulder, over the bandages a tattered dark blue under kimono the right sleeve missing, her right arm was a mess of blood and gashes. Her long red hair swirled loose around her body in the growing wind like living flames._

"_Lady Flower! What happened to you!" the dark haired child ran forward to wrap her arms around the bandaged woman._

"_Nothing to worry about little Rin, but I am unable to completely control this place right now and I have very little time." She pushed the girl away slightly so she could kneel down in front of her, "I must ask a favor of you, it will be dangerous but your Lord Sesshomaru should be able to protect you." Rin's eyes widened._

"_A favor?" the older woman nodded and from inside her kimono she pulled a large red leather bound book, "Take this book, keep it with you always but never open it." Rin started to take the book only to freeze moments before her fingers could brush the soft leather._

"_Why? What is it?" Lady Flower smiled at her and placed her good hand on her shoulder._

"_I'm happy you asked that, this is my book and it holds all the secrets there are. It's very dangerous for anyone with a greedy dark heart to have. You have a pure heart so you can protect it until it is safe for me to carry it again." Rin stared up at her with wide eyes._

"_Really? Why is it unsafe for you to carry it?" Lady Flower brushed the dark bangs off of Rin's forehead._

"_Because a very bad demon is after me, and if he actually captures me and gains the power to read that book then everyone will be in danger. Please keep it for me, keep it safe, you will be safe as long as you hold it. This is the first time I've had to ask for help in a long time and I'm trusting you with my book." Rin stared at her for a long moment her heart torn between wanting to help her friend and distrust of the new surroundings. She gnawed on her bottom lip thinking, her heart said to trust her friend but her mind warned that it could be a trick of another demon. She followed her heart and took the book in her hands hugging it to her chest. Lady Flower smiled down at her, "Thank you Rin," her head snapped to one side as a dark laugh penetrated the wild stormy winds, "You have to leave now, I can't hold it back any longer." Lady Flower stood and a flurry of scarlet flower petals lifted from the ground to swirl around her, she squeezed her eyes shut to protect them._

Rin's eyes snapped open and she sat up straight slamming into Jaken who still leaned over her. He bounced back with a squawk landing against Sesshomaru's feet, the tall lord promptly lifted his right foot and stomped down on the green beings head. Rin blinked and looked down, there clutched in her arms was the thick red leather bound book.

"Rin, what happened?" the quiet question was more of a demand than a question as he stared down at the book, his sensitive nose was picking up the smell of fire flowers strong and fresh as well as the scent of a demon, it all was emitting from that book. He felt Jaken shift under his boot and lifted his foot, the little green man sat up a red foot print embedded in his forehead.

"That book just appeared in your hands! All because of those flower petals gathered up in your lap! Who did it! Was it a demon!" Sesshomaru slammed his foot back down on the imp silencing him again. Rin peered up at him sadly.

"Lady Flower used her flowers to make me go to sleep, she asked me to protect it for her so that the bad demon won't get it and kill her." She hugged the book closer and glanced down at the imp buried under her lord's foot, "I told you she was real Master Jaken." The child stood and moved towards her lord, "Can we please go find the real Lady Flower, I don't want her to get killed, she's my friend." She bowed her head just slightly and scuffed a bare foot at her dirt.

"You still believe she is real Rin?" his tone was cool yet not mocking as he asked the simple question.

"I know she is. And she's in trouble, I don't want her hurt Lord Sesshomaru, she saved me." Her foot scuffed the dirt again, "She's like having a big sister or.." she paused there and sighed peeking back up at him, "She feels like my mom when she holds me."

Kusabana slid her arm into her kimono carefully using her hands to bring her hair out of her collar then bent to pick up her obi wrapping it around her slender waist her fingers daftly tying it in the back. As she leaned down to pick up the small bag Ikoku stepped back through the door.

"Girl! What do you think you're doing? You're in no shape to be up and about." Kusabana motioned for Aya to run back up onto her shoulder then stood the bag hidden by her sleeve now. Fully dressed she felt better, safer with her hair pins and kimono's in place.

"I'm fine now, thank you for helping me Lady Ikoku, but it's unsafe for me to stay here much longer." She stepped towards the woman and bowed just slightly, yet the single graceful movement allowed part of her hair to drift over her shoulder, "If you ever need my help don't hesitate to call for me." She rose again and turned for the door, a sure flick of her wrist moved the mat aside.

"How? What is your name girl?" Kusabana turned slightly peeking over her shoulder.

"Kusabana." With that she disappeared out the door, Ikoku followed in time to watch her seemingly walk up into the air, a shimmering mist took her across the sky.

"Such a strange girl." The old woman shook her head, she had the strange feeling that she would be seeing the red headed girl again.

A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short and again kind of choppy, these slower chapters are always this way but dun worry! It shall pick up, I'll even include a small spoiler for the next chapter, …In A Long Time, at the end of this little note. Also my furcadia dream is almost up and running all I have to do is finish the DS for it, there's even a little hidden spot if you can find it. If you play furcadia see if you can find either Sally or me, characters names are Cheshy Alex and I.F. Sally. Good luck on finding us, we're usually online on Sundays. Also I may be taking a small break from writing for a bit, my boss just had surgery and it's hard for me to find time to write, I'm also writing on another story which I shall be posting soon so please bare with me. And now for the slight spoiler, the almost meeting of Sesshomaru and Kusabana!

Spoiler!

Dun read if you dun wanna know!

The rustling of the leaves drew his attention again and his eyes narrowed, there was someone else in the forest with him, someone who could hide who they were very well. The still air was broken by a soft breeze and the scent of sakura blossoms and flames came to him. A movement to his right caught the corner of his sight and he turned in time to see something red and pink disappear behind a large tree.

"Who's there?" the sounds stopped until his sharp ears caught the soft sounds of breathing and a pounding heartbeat, fear perhaps, that thought made a small smirk tug at the corner of his lips.

"I'm just a stranger my lord." The soft voice struck a cord of recognition in him and his golden eyes widened, it couldn't possibly be…she was dead.

End of Spoiler! Whoot!


	9. In A Long Time

A/N: InuYasha isn't mine, but Kusabana, Aya, and Ikoku are so please dun steal them!

Alex: sighs Hello everyone, glad to see ya'll are still reading but I'm afraid that after this chapter this fic will be on hold until I get caught up on some other things in life. Sadly only one person has reviewed this story for me and without reviews to know what I'm doing right or wrong makes it hard to write. I may work on some other fics and post them up but this one will be on hold until inspiration cough Sally cough returns from wherever it has gone, apparently the lack of having reviews to yell at has caused her to become bored therefore I'm on my own. I hope you all had a nice Halloween and I will soon be posting a picture of my little sister portraying Sally although there are some things missing and some color variations. Also I'm very sorry that this chapter is so late, it's been very busy at work and I haven't had much time to write lately.

Chapter 9:

…In A Long Time

Sesshomaru paused for a moment to look back over his shoulder at the child leading his two headed dragon with one hand the other held the large red book to her slight chest, They had been traveling for a full week back towards his palace. After the book had appeared he had demanded her to tell him about her dreams and the field she had described had sounded much like the one that was a two day journey from his palace. He had taken Kusabana there several times so that she could gather fire flowers. Rin cast a glare at Jaken when he insisted he be allowed to destroy the book yet again and turned to clamor onto Ah-Un's back using both arms to hold the book to her, since the night it had appeared it hadn't left her sight and had rarely left her hands.

"Jaken, leave Rin alone." He spoke softly and turned again moving forward once again. He wanted to get to that clearing in less time that it usually took to he turned on his heel in one easy movement and moved to the still moving Ah-Un, in one fluid motion he swung himself up into the saddle within moments the two headed dragon had taken to the sky Jaken letting out a screech as he clung to its tail.

In an hour he had sat them down in the courtyard of the palace, "Jaken," the imp was in front of the dragon in an instant.

"Mi lord?"

"Take Rin inside, don't follow me." With that he dismounted the two headed dragon and let his own demon cloud form under his feet to carry him to the clearing. His mind drifted much as he did, his golden eyes stayed straight forward. Although his face was passive his mind rolled through all that Rin had ever told him of Lady Flower; long red hair, violet eyes, the soft voice, the gentleness, and lastly the flowers and scent of the woman. Every bit of it practically described the servant he had had so many years ago, He felt the trickle of hope that curled down through his chest and pushed it away again, there wasn't a way in the world that the woman could still be alive no matter what his heart said. He was a demon and he had no use for a heart or emotions.

Below him the field came into view and he began his decent landing in the edge of the trees, he hadn't been to the field since the time of her death, pain laced through his chest as he saw the faint shadowy image of her smiling at him from the center of the field a large basket of flowers and herbs in her hands a single fire flower tucked into her hair. That memory had been made the very last time they had been there, she had wanted to find more of the bright colored flowers to help some of the sick children in the palace so he had taken her to the field.

Her smiles had been few and far in-between and very rarely for anyone else but him, only the children had been able to make her smile when he hadn't been around. He allowed the pain to throb through him, it told him that he was still alive, and it also told him that he still had a weakness and that thought made him sneer inside. It was the one weakness he would always make sure no one ever knew about, it was the weakness that the attacking demons had exploited knowing that she would protect the child at the cost of her own life and in the end it had brought them all their deaths.

He drew his thoughts from the darker shadows and stared out across the still field, not a breath of air stirred the flowers or the leaves and the heavy scent of flowers hung in the air, he watched the shadows of clouds drift across the sunlit field, not even a bird sang almost as if knowing that his mood did not suit the sounds of the now silent forest. The soft sounds of rustling leaves rang loudly in his ears in the silence, his eyes slid towards the sound, nothing, no scent, he slid his eyes back to the field.

It was silent for a short while then again the sounds of movement in the leaves caught his attention again and his eyes narrowed at the sudden feeling of being watched, there was someone else in the forest with him, someone who could hide who they were very well considering that he could feel no demonic aura. The still air was broken by a soft breeze and the scent of sakura blossoms and flames came to him. A movement to his right caught the corner of his sight and he turned in time to see something red and pink disappear behind a large tree.

"Who's there?" the sounds stopped until his sharp ears caught the soft sounds of breathing and a pounding heartbeat, fear perhaps, that thought made a small smirk tug at the corner of his lips.

"I'm just a stranger my lord." The soft voice struck a cord of recognition in him and his golden eyes widened, it couldn't possibly be…she was dead. He moved towards the sound of the beating heart as silent as a whisper he rounded the tree in time to see a swirl of dark red hair and white cloth disappear around the other side of the tree, she was fast whoever she was. He shot around the other side of the tree and again only the whirling colors met him, he let out a sound much like a low growl as he turned again in time to see the red and white form running through the field. With a simple flex of the muscles in his legs he was after it his feet flying several inches off the forest floor with each powerful jump.

He watched the long red hair streaming behind her dance in the wind, how she ran in the long formal kimono he would never figure out, how she stayed ahead of him confused him as well. But nothing infuriated him more than when she turned quickly in the center of the field her sleeve hidden arm sweeping around her.

"Veil of flowers." Her tone never changed, soft and dull yet somehow gentle. The flower petals all around her turned a dark crimson then burst from their stems to swirl up around her hiding her from his view but not before he saw a glimpse of a pale heart shaped face. The quickly moving flower petals made it nearly impossible for him to see anything but her outline. He stopped easily just a foot from her and the swirling petals.

"Who are you?" his tone was icy and deadly at the same moment, he could still hear her erratically beating heart. She stood stark still in the center of those petals, he could feel her eyes on him.

"Your young charge calls me Lady Flower, so I suppose that is what you may call me my lord." The way the last two words rolled off of her tongue so easily with the same slight accent that Kusabana used to use caused his eyes to narrow angrily and he struck out quickly against the cyclone of flowers only to have more replace them before he could see her clearly.

"Alright then Lady Flower, what makes you come here, this place is off limits to everyone. Even a lesser demon could find the warnings blinded." He saw the outline of her head bow slightly downwards.

"I wanted to check on her, to make sure she was safe with my book still…" she turned her head looking away back towards the woods, she was going to run again he knew by gut instinct, "And the southern lands are the safest place for me to be right now, even the wind witch isn't brave enough to trespass here without suffering your wrath." She shifted, she was moving slowly towards the tree line the flowers following her. He studied them glancing quickly up and down that barrier that kept him from breaking her neck for entering the meadow, he couldn't help the small smirk that tugged at his lips when he found that the top of the cyclone was open, free of the petals he knew were sharp due to the small scratches on his hand.

"It was foolish for you to come here thinking that you would be protected." He followed her just as smoothly as she was moving away.

"I didn't come here to be protected my lord, I can do that myself. I came to make sure Rin was protected." His pride took a hit with that and his anger grew slightly, "I didn't want to give her my book but it was the best way to keep Naraku from getting hold of it." He sprang suddenly, instinct told him when the right moment would be and he sailed over the pillar of flowers dropping directly into the center his one hand wrapping around her neck palms feeling the bite of the necklaces around her neck. He heard and felt her soft gasp of fear and surprise as her hands lifted to wrap around his wrist as his claws dug into the back of her neck. With just a flex of them he could fill her full of his poison and she would die writing in pain, the silky strands of her hair slithered across his fingers and wrist and he lowered his eyes to meet a single wide amethyst orb. Shock settled in the pit of his stomach then moved up as her face snapped into focus, he stared down into a face he had thought never to see again, a face that had been blood smeared the last time he had saw it alive.

Her erratic pulse beat against his palm and fingers telling him that she was very much alive, his golden eyes were wide his shock showing for once his grasp loosened for only a moment before it tightened again rage taking the place of shock, rage that someone had stolen her face, "Who are you woman?" he growled the words, the veil of flowers froze in midair then dropped creating a circle around them. Her fear was visible in her eyes for only a moment more before her face and eyes fell into a smooth mask. The faint smell of burning flesh tickled his nose and unease settled in the back of his mind for a moment, he pushed it away.

"You know me, asking questions to which you already know the answers to are unlike you my lord." An accent crept into her voice, the odd way of speech that he was so familiar with.

"Impossible, the dead cannot come back to life without a jewel shard or with the help of my sword and you do not smell like clay and graveyard dirt." He flexed his hand again his claws digging deeper into her pale flesh.

"I am who I am my lord, I promise you that I am very much alive." Her hands loosened on his wrist slightly. He stared down at her assessing her, she was the right height, had the same hair color, the same eye color, and the same scent. The last words she had whispered to him as she lay dying in his arms rang in his mind, her hand moved as if in slow motion releasing his wrist to move up her cool fingertips brushing his cheek in the same place where she had the time before.

"Kusabana." Her name was ripped from his lips as he released her neck to catch her hand in a steely grasp. Silky soft skin was warm beneath his fingers and palm, the pulse in her wrist beat erratically beneath his middle fingertip, her hand froze her warm fingertips barely grazing his cheek bone as she stared up at him. Her hands stretched out along his cheek until her entire palm covered the markings on his face.

He studied her, she was the same yet different at the same time. Her red hair still hung down into her eyes hiding one of them completely, her face was pale yet unlike in her days before held dark black swirling marks down her left cheek. Her bow shaped lips were painted a dark shade of rose and held in their natural shape, no smile or emotion showed on them now. Her scent was the same to him but now that he was closer without the flower veil to hide it he couldn't mistake the light scent of demonic blood flowing through her veins now. His eyes narrowed, very few still living knew of Kusabana and her meaning to him unless they had lived at the palace all those years ago so a demon couldn't have stolen her face.

"Demon, why steal a face that is not yours?" his golden eyes flashed down at her and she blinked trying to take a step back from him, his hand on her wrist kept her where she was as she released her other hand from around his.

"It is my face my lord, I haven't stolen it." She tugged at her hand actually tarring it from his grasp, her body rippled and in a blur she was several feet away from him. She stared at him for a long moment then turned, "If you wish to believe I have stolen it then you are truly blind my lord." She headed back to the forest, "Please keep Rin safe, I'll take back the book as soon as Naraku is dead." He noticed it then, her hair although it had looked to be to her waist was much longer, setting in the small of her back was a bun made up of a thick braid looped three or four times.

A memory came unwanted to his mind and his claws bit into his palm, the memory was from a week before her death.

_Sesshomaru watched her as she moved around his room straightening things even placing clean clothing neatly on their hooks. She turned and began folding the large blankets that went to his large futon, how the slight female was able to fold something so much bigger than she he had yet to figure out. She hefted the heavy blanket and sat it aside piling the pillows on top of it, she paused to brush her hair out of her eyes, the longish strands ad fallen free of the ribbon that had held it back. The shoulder length strands made him angry still yet, it should be longer as it was when she had first come to the palace. He watched her fold his futon then place the blankets and pillows on top of it, she turned towards him and bowed just slightly._

"_Everything is how you like it my lord, do you wish for me to help you with anything else before I go to my other chores?" he studied her for a long moment before picking the comb off table in front of him he tossed it to her with a careless flick of his wrist and watched as she caught it quickly. She blinked down at it then at him, "My lord?"_

"_There's a tangle I can't get, it had better not pull." He turned his back to her, something that made him cringe inside._

"_A…alright…" he heard her move behind him and kneel down, "Are you sure you want me to do this my lord, you never let anyone touch your hair." He nodded once and felt her tentatively touch her fingers to his hair then the comb as she picked gently at the tangle. Moments later the comb was whispering through his hair smoothly, the fingers of her other hand followed the comb the tips of her fingernails scraping his scalp lightly before running through the thick length of his hair. A purr threatened to escape at the tingling feeling those nails created, he was enjoying having his hair brushed entirely to much and his thoughts turned to her hair. It used to be nearly as long as his, the image of her sitting with it all shorn off as a cruel joke filled his minds eye, anger bubbled inside of him and a low growl bubbled up instead of a purr._

"_You shouldn't think so much about it my lord." He turned his head slightly to peer up at her and her face flushed, "You always growl when your thinking about my hair, it's alright it'll grow back in time." He faced forward again allowing her to continue her work on his hair._

"_That isn't the point." She continued to brush his hair removing all tangles until it fell down his back like a river of silver._

"_Yes it is, it upset you when you saw what they had done. It was written on your face so clearly." just as he was about to order her to stop she pulled the comb and her fingers free and he could hear her stand. She sat the comb on the table in front of him gently and used the same hand to brush her hair back over her shoulder, he felt another growl escape and a small smile tilted her lips as she peered down at him brushing her bangs aside so that both amethyst eyes locked onto his golden ones, "Lord Sesshomaru, I promise never to cut my hair again." She bowed slightly and turned disappearing through the door to her own small room leaving him to stare after her retreating back._

Sesshomaru stood now watching her retreating back once again and the strange hair style that drifted over her kimono. Just as she was about to reach the shadows of the trees he moved shooting across the field to stand directly in front of her, "We can settle this demon, she made me a promise once, what was it?" He watched her closely her visible eye became slightly sad she tilted her head down slightly.

"I promised that I would never cut my hair again, and I have kept that promise my lord." Shock pulsed through his body, no one but he and her knew of that promise and now before him stood a ghost of his past the same ghost that had almost caused his destruction once. His hand moved as if in slow motion to him, when he thought her a demon who had stolen his Kusabana's face his only thought had been to destroy her. Now that he knew before him stood the woman who still held his heart in her small hands his one thought was to hoard her away somewhere where nothing could ever take her from him again.

"Get away from her!" the order was shouted in a high pitched voice followed by a blast of demonic energy that caused him to jump back, when the dust cleared someone new stood in front of her. Female in appearance the woman was nearly as tall as he, she was covered in a thick brown fur and appeared more animal than humanoid, a long fluffy tail curled from the back of the kimono she wore. The kimono itself only came half way down her thighs and held slits up both sides, it clung to her curvy form the long sleeves torn off most likely in battle, it was made for fighting as were the claws on her hands, "Stay away from Lady Kusabana." Her black eyes glowered into his.

"Aya no!"

Kagome stared into the pool of water at the colorful fish swimming about, her thoughts drifted as did the reflections of the clouds on the waters surface. This was the first time in a long time that they had had a peaceful moment, demons kept attacking now that the jewel shards were now in only one of two hands. Hers and Narakus. She shifted pulling her shoes and socks off before dangling her feet into the water, she let out a hiss of air as the cold liquid bit into her sore feet then sighed, it felt nice, she propped her hands behind her and leaned back to stare up at the sky and the clouds drifting across the blue orb. She closed her eyes and sighed letting the peace of the moment flow through her body, there was a rustling of cloth and she turned her head to watch InuYasha sit beside her his sword leaned against his chest.

"Whatcha doin'?" his question was kind of gruff but she hadn't expected anything less, especially if the others were near by. She really needed to work with him on expressing himself better instead of hiding behind his tough guy act.

"Enjoying the day." She sighed the words and turned to look back up at the sky as always her heart beat faster when he was near and the strange squeezing of her stomach and heart were expected too and she smiled just faintly.

"Whater you smilin' about?" she turned her smile on him and he blinked at her.

"Nothing, I'm just happy with the day is that alright?" he gave her an odd look one of his cute little dog ears twitching, she had to fight the urge to reach up and pet it down. He watched her for a moment and leaned away, her eyes were still pinned to his ears his eyes a little wide.

"You're not going to grab them are you?" she let out little squeak and blushed shaking her head quickly.

"Of course not! I know that you hate for anyone to touch your ears." He looked less afraid and sat up straight again. She kicked her feet slightly spooking off the fish that were trying to nibble at her toes, "Have you gotten any hints on Naraku?" he stared down at the water and shook his head.

"No, where ever he's hidden he's hidden himself good this time." He adopted the soft husky tone he often did when alone with her and her heartbeat sped up, "I caught a hint of Kagura a ways back but it was old enough I couldn't follow it." He frowned down at the water.

"InuYasha?" there was something else, she could tell he couldn't figure it out and it was bothering him.

"Sesshomaru's scent was there too." She studied his serious face and decided to put his mind at ease.

"Well isn't this near the boarder to the western lands? He was probably just passing through."

"Probably, but it still doesn't sound right." She sat up straight and pulled her feet out of the water tucking her legs up to one side she turned towards him slightly. She studied his serious expression and tilted her head to one side. A slight breeze ruffled her hair and the leaves in the trees, she lifted a hand to brush it back from her face.

"Maybe we shouldn't worry about it, I mean if it's old Kagura was probably asking Sesshomaru to help her destroy Naraku again." She used one hand to keep her balance as she fought to keep her hair out of her eyes, that same breeze took the scent of her shampoo to InuYasha who's eyes closed as he inhaled, his hands tightened on his sword to keep from reaching out to bring her closer to him.

"Maybe your right, it still bothers me though, I don't like it." He growled the last word before he felt Kagome's free and land on his arm.

"Lets just wait and see, we'll find Naraku I know it. Even if you can't scent him I'll pick up on the jewel shards if we get anywhere near him." She dropped her hand back to her lap and stared down at it for a long moment.

"Kagome?" she blinked up at him curiously, "I'm sorry about the other day, when I made you leave before your party." She smiled slightly at his saddened expression, even his cute little doggy ears drooped, once again she had to squash the temptation to pet them.

"It's alright InuYasha, maybe when Naraku is finally defeated I'll have time o do those kinds of things." He continued to stare down at the water his ears still drooping, her heart sank a bit before she smiled, "I'd like for you to come with me to the next party InuYasha." He blinked up at her his ears standing straight again. A smile graced his lips before he shut it down placing a non caring look on his face and crossed his arms over his chest looking away from her his nose slightly turned up.

"Keh! Why would I wanna go to some stupid party or whatever it's called." She grinned when his ears twitched; she'd learned over time that his ears twitched every time he lied to her. His ear twitched again and before she had a chance to crunch down on the temptation she had reached out and up to rub her fingers along the very base of his ear. He froze his ear twitching against her fingers, she rubbed the soft silky fur gently careful not to hurt the delicate appendage. A low rumble started in his chest and she jerked her hand away only to have it caught by the wrist gently by his hand. Her head dropped before her eyes could meet his, she knew her face was fire red.

"I'm sorry InuYa…" she let out a gasp of surprise her head snapping up when he pulled her fingers back to his ear.

"That felt nice…" she blinked at the look on his face, his eyes were shut and his lips held a slight smile. She leaned forward slightly rubbing her fingers against the base of his ears again. The rumble in his chest began again; she blinked when she realized that instead of growling he was purring. His hand loosened on her wrist and he tilted his head into her hand.

"I..InuYasha?" she only murmured his name but it was enough to make him turn his head towards her his eyes only half open. The golden orbs had misted into a darker shade much like the day she had thought he was going to kiss her, even as that thought crossed her mind his eyes dropped to her lips and remained there. His fingers tightened around her wrist pulling her hand away gently at the same moment he used that same wrist to pull her forward so that she had to either shift onto her knees or fall onto him. She still had to lift her other hand to brace it against his shoulder to keep from over balancing, his hand slid down her arm so guide it around his neck that same hand moved to tangle in her dark hair.

He shifted then, a simple ripple of his muscles that brought him closer to her, his fingers sifted through her hair until his hand cupped the back of her head. His warm breath fanned over her lips and his eyes flicked up to stare into her own wide eyes "Kagome…" her name was murmured only a moment before his lips settled against hers. She drew in a sharp breath and froze on the spot as what felt like an electric shock rocketed through her body leaving her tingling from her lips to her toes. Slowly she relaxed her eyes fluttering shut; she pressed her lips back against his tilting her head slightly so that their lips pressed more firmly together. Is lips slid slowly against hers coaxing and faintly she wondered if he was going on past experiences or on instinct. He mad a soft sound somewhere between a purr and a growl his other hand releasing its hold on his sword to cup her cheek gently as he pulled her closer for a moment before he slowly drew back pausing to rest his forehead against hers.

Her eyes opened slowly to stare dazedly into his eyes, their breaths came out in soft pants and she could feel his erratic pulse against her palm as she was sure he could hear hers, a dark blush graced his cheeks much like the one she knew was heating her face. His thumb caressed her cheekbone lightly, "I'm sorry Kagome." She blinked at him as his eyes saddened slightly.

"What for?" it was his turn to blink at her as she smiled slightly at him which caused him to smile back, "I don't regret that InuYasha." She tilted her head again brushing her lips lightly against his. There was a rustling in the trees behind them.

"Kagome? InuYasha?" Shippo's childish voice broke the contact between them and they moved apart quickly just before the little fox demon came through the trees followed by Miroku and Sango, "There you guys are, are we ready to leave?" Kagome pulled her socks and shoes back on and stood with a smile.

"I am if you guys are." She smiled down at InuYasha and offered him a hand to help him up, he stared at it for a long moment before taking it. Miroku smirked as he studied the two of them, both held dull red blushes and slightly swollen lips, his smirk grew into a grin.

"What are you grinning about monk?" InuYasha's gruff question just made the monk grin wider and hold up his hands.

"Nothing, nothing." He continued to grin, he had been wondering when InuYasha would finally give in to the temptation. He continued to smirk for several hours after that as they began their journey again.

A/N: Sorry that this took so long for me to get up and this fic will be on hold unless Sally kicks me in the bum or unless I get some reviews with peoples opinions and ideas to help me continue on. Once again I'm sorry for the delay and the hold on Record Keeper although I am glad I finally got the two things that everyone was waiting for in here.


	10. Follow

A/N: I dun own Inuyasha!

Alex: Hiya all, praise be to my boss who has given me two days off in a row this week and I can actually write and Sally has returned!

Sally: Not by choice damn you!

Alex: shoves the fairy back into her cage :D Oh hush, sadly in this chapter there wll be no InuYasha, Kagome, Kusabana, or Sesshomaru! Bwahahaha I love suspense!

Sally: No you like being evil, will you at least hand me a frigging book or somethin'?

Alex: No now hush. This chapter is a bit of a filler and a suspense chapter. Also for the first time Aya's thoughts will be put into a little space of their own! Also I keep forgetting to put in ages, I've upped them a little from the beginning of the anime/manga about two years which puts Kagome-17 Rin-10 and so on and so forth. On with the chapter!

Chapter 10:

Follow

Kohaku frowned in thought as he scrubbed the special soap over his skin, Kagura had left hours before trying to find where that woman had landed. The woman who had haunted his thoughts since he had seen her face and the single visible violet eye through her dark red hair. He had seen her before, right after he regained his memories again when the nightmares had assaulted him night after night. She had been there to calm the storms and change the images, to comfort him in his time of need, she had spoken gently to him and had helped him form his resolve to kill Naraku, she had talked him through his troubled thoughts and his emotions. He grabbed his clothing and began scrubbing them with the same soap.

His plan was to sneak into the Western palace, he had watched Rin arrive there hours before and he wanted to find out why Naraku had changed his orders for him from finding the red headed woman to getting the book from Rin. He had to warn her, he didn't want the little girl he considered his only friend to become endangered. He slid from the water and laid his clothing out to dry, the soap he had used would get rid of any scent there was for hours giving him plenty of time to easily sneak into the palace to see his friend, to warn her of the danger she was in so that she could stay close to the demon lord she was so fond of.

He flopped backwards to stare up at the darkening sky and thought back on every time he had met the little girl he called friend. The very first time was when Kagura had kidnapped her to lure in Sesshomaru, he had been her guard then and was to kill her if Sesshomaru didn't cooperate. She had befriended him in the hours that they had huddled in the dark building, and when Naraku had ordered him to kill her he had been unable to do it. Then after that every time he had seen her she had protected him carefully covering up the fact that he was around from anyone else who was there, mostly her protector who would most likely kill him upon sight.

He smiled just slightly, smiling was rare for him now and only happened when he remembered his past with his sister before their people's death and when he thought of Rin. He blushed lightly, was it possible he had a crush on the younger girl, he lifted his hand to touch his cheek lightly his mind drifting back for a moment.

_Kohaku carefully dodged back into the trees before Sesshomaru could see him, the scent removing oil he had rubbed on himself seemed to be working for the time being he heard Rin giggle and hurriedly run ahead to distract them. He continued after them only he stayed farther behind them this time, when they stopped for the night he waited knowing that she'd come to check on him and warn him not to follow them._

_And so she did late in the night, her small feet were silent in the leaves as she paused under the tree he had hidden in. Somehow she always knew where he was, her hand lifted to rest on the tree trunk as she peered up into the shadows._

"_Are you there Kohaku?" she spoke softly so she wouldn't wake the demons that slept farther up the path. He dropped down the branches until he rested until he rested on the one closest to the ground, "You shouldn't be following us, if lord Sesshomaru catches you he'll kill you he's already said he would." She blinked up at him as he stared down at her, "If you're worried about me I'm really okay, you didn't hurt me I promise." She turned placing her back against the tree trunk, "Besides I know you didn't mean to do it and it was a long time ago, over a year." She scuffed her bare toes against the dirt, "You don't have to keep checking on me when Naraku isn't watching you."_

_He blinked and felt his face flush a dull shade of red before she suddenly climbed up to sit beside him, she grinned when he gave her a questioning look. He shifted from his crouched position to sitting next to her, "I'm not worried, I.. I just need to make it right." She grinned at him again and leaned toward him to plant a light kiss on his cheek, his face went from slightly flushed to bright red._

"_Don't worry about it Kohaku, I know you didn't do it by choice. I have to go, Master Jaken and Lord Sesshomaru will worry if they wake up and I'm not there." She slipped from the tree branch landing lightly, she turned to smile and wave over her shoulder before hurring back into the trees. Kohaku lifted his hand to touch his cheek his face still bright red and his eyes wide._

Kohaku could tell his face had heated to a dark red again as he slid his slayer's suit back onto his body, his armor followed. It had been another year since that time in the tree and now once again he was trying to make immense by warning her of the danger to her life. He picked up his weapon and began the climb up one of the nearby trees, moving high enough into the branches to be unseen he began making his way towards the castle.

Rin peeked around the corner of the castle wall, it was finally growing dark and she was out from under the watchful eyes of Jaken and Sora. She clutched the two fire flowers she had snuck from the special garden close to her chest along with Kusabana's thick book and quickly darted around the back of the building making her way for the special cemetery. She stopped at the gate to look around again before disappearing into the shadows of the grave yard. Moving as silently as possible she made her way to Kusabana's grave where she knelt next to the headstone placing the fire flowers carefully upon the grass covered ground. She turned and leaned her back against the stone and wrapped her arms around her legs so that the book was pressed to her chest, she tilted her head back against the stone to stare up at the colorful darkening sky.

"I didn't know that you were his servant before, I just found out today from miss Sora." She scuffed her toes though the grass, "She said that he cared for you a lot even if he didn't want to admit it to anyone." She watched the stars appear one by one, "I bet you were very pretty and special even then, I bet that he talked to you." She sighed, "I wonder if what Sora said is true, that you two were in love but would never admit it to anyone or the other. She said that Lord Sesshomaru grieved for a long time after your death that he wouldn't even come near the palace after they buried you for months. When he finally came back they said he hated humans even more than he originally had, she said that in truth you and I are the only humans he's ever been able to stand all that much." She sighed then let out a yelp when a hand clapped over her mouth.

"Shh, it's me, Kohaku." The young male voice whispered in her ear and she blinked quickly twisting around fear turning to joy at the sight of someone she considered a friend.

"Kohaku! What are you doing here?" she clamored to her feet the book almost dropping she caught it and hugged it to her chest, "You haven't come for this have you? I can't give it to you."

"No, I came to give you a warning. Naraku wants that book and the woman who owns it. You're in danger as long as you have it from Kagura and me." He crossed his arms, "I have all my memories back you know." She blinked at him as his eyes saddened and reached out with one hand to pat his shoulder lightly.

"That's a good thing, it means that Naraku can't make you do anything anymore right?" he shook his head.

"No not really, the worst he could do is take the jewel shard from my back and I would die. But I still act like I'm under his control so that he won't do that." She frowned and stepped up to stand directly in front of him.

"Why would you do that?" Kohaku's gaze turned from sad to furious in a moment.

"Because I'm going to kill him as soon as I have the chance." He shifted in front of her and she tilted her head.

"Isn't that dangerous? But still you didn't have to come here and warn me, we already knew. Lady Flower warned me when I said I'd take the book for her, besides I have Lord Sesshomaru, Master Jaken, and Ah-Un to protect me." She paused hugging the book closer, it made her feel safe.

"Who were you talking to earlier?" the question startled her and she felt her cheeks heat.

"Um…Lady Kusabana." He blinked at her and she pointed to the headstone, "Well she died a long time ago but now she's the Record Keeper, the woman who owns this book, she also helps people in their dreams when they can't get rid of bad dreams or if they're really sick." She sighed, "I just wish she could be happy again with Lord Sesshomaru."

"Rin you silly child where are you!? You'd better not be in the Lord's family grave yard again!" Rin's gaze shot to Kohaku as she heard the imp's calls. He nodded and turned disappearing into the darkness as Rin turned the other direction running for the gate, she had to keep Jaken away from the grave yard long enough for Kohaku to get away. However at the gate she turned to look back at the spot where her friend had talked to her before slipping back out into the palace yards.

"I'm right here master Jaken, I was exploring again I'm sorry…." She ran on trying to meet Jaken before he made it anywhere near the grave yard.

Sango watched the grinning monk and suppressed a grin of her own as she turned her eyes to the two people walking ahead of them; they were talking quietly for once. Not arguing or planning, just talking. She let out a fake sneeze to hide a giddy giggle, they had finally let the feelings for each other bubble over into an action. Even if it was just one kiss it was still something that had finally happened.

"Thank the gods, I thought that the tension between those two was going to end up with all of our deaths." Shippo stated from Miroku's shoulder before he turned to look at her, "So when are you and Miroku going to kiss like that?" Sango felt her face heat in embarrassment before she pushed that away and replaced it with anger.

"Listen here you little…" she knew she looked scary because the monk and the kit paled, Shippo let out a yelp and bound from Miroku's shoulder towards Kagome and InuYasha. Kirara mewed from her shoulder before jumping down also.

"I do believe you scared them both off my dear Sango, or maybe you just wanted me all alone." The letcher gave her a side long glance and she turned her furious eyes on him.

"Don't you dare start Miroku!" she hissed the words and the monk paled.

"But my dears Sango I would never dream of doing such a thing." She gave him a disbelieving look and had to fight down the urge to smile at his faux innocent face. A warm feeling crept into her heart and she had to fight the urge to cry, in the end it would all be wrong, she would leave them all and follow her brother into death as it was supposed to be. She moved her eyes from his face to the ground and plodded on until she felt a hand wrap around her own, she looked up startled only to have him wink at her with a smile and a pressed finger to his lips. He would do nothing more, it was his promise and she knew it and therefore she thread her fingers with his for the moment burring herself into the warmth and reassurance that he presented to her.

Aya grumbled to herself as she pulled the short kimono closed around her body, in truth she hated clothing of any type but Kusabana had made it for her so she wore it. Actually it wasn't all that uncomfortable to wear like other kimonos. Kusabana had made it short only coming to her mid thigh and even then she had placed slit all the way up to her hips so that she could move her legs easily. The red obi wasn't as wide as some and tied in a simple bow in the back, the sleeves had been forgone all together so that she could move her arms, the entire obi itself was a deep forest green so that she could blend with the trees. She picked up the chain sword that the dragons had given her so long ago and she wrapped it around her waist pushing it under her obi so that it was hidden. Twisting she pulled her tail through the slot in the back of the kimono then used the ribbon that matched her obi to tie back her dark red brown hair.

"Lady Kusabana?" she moved around the tree only to find her lady missing, "Oh no! Lady Kusabana?!" she felt every hair on her fur covered body stand on end, if Kusabana was missing that could only mean one thing. She looked around wildly and mentally slapped herself for not noticing sooner that they were near the hidden meadow from her human days. She jumped into the nearest tree her claws digging in so that she could spring from tree to tree with ease.

When she got to the clearing her heart stopped, Sesshomaru was there with her, "Oh no!" His face held a look of shock, he knew, he knew that she was the Kusabana that he had loved. She watched his hand lift moving towards her face, "No no no, they'll kill her!" she shot forward her hand grasping her link sword she gathered energy and sent it hurtling between them, "Get away from her!" she screamed the words her voice breaking she darted in front of her lady she glared at the demon lord who stood a few feet back, she let her eyes flash a glowing violet, "Stay away from Lady Kusabana." She began drawing her aura into her sword.

"Aya no!" Kusabana's voice broke through the angry haze as the faint odor of burning flesh caused her to turn immediately. Her lady held her right arm with her left hand, "Don't do it Aya, leave him be, lets just leave please." The fear and sadness that shone from her eyes and face was what was causing her lady pain. She turned her furious gaze to the western lord again.

"Stay away from Lady Kusabana or I'll kill you." She moved in a blur wrapping her arms around Kusabana's waist carefully.

"Leave her demon." His voice went unheeded as she turned another glare at the demon lord, "Remove your hands from her or I shall remove them from your arms."

"Go to hell Sesshomaru." She hissed the words and pushed off of the ground quickly leaping into the trees, she could hear him following her.

"Demon, you had better stop while you're ahead." Aya growled as she felt Kusabana's demonic aura began to build.

"No my lady don't!" she hissed the words but she had no doubt that he heard them.

"It's the only way." With that she gathered the aura under them lifting them straight into the sky, Aya felt a tear land on her furred arm, "I'm sorry Sesshomaru…" the words were a broken whisper as they took to the air, and as they sped away from the clearing she heard the roar of the angry demon lord, the first time anyone had heard anything as such from him since the human Kusabana's death. Soon she had to control the fall as her lady fainted, they landed in the tree tops and Aya had to hunt for a broad enough branch to lay her on. She stared down at the woman as she moved her right sleeve up to look at the rosary on her arm, the flesh around each bead was an angry red again. Aya's eyes landed on her sleeping face and the tears dried there, "Oh Kusa-chan….you still love him so much my dear friend." She pulled the smaller woman up into her lap and hugged her close.

Out of all the Record Keepers Kusabana treated her like a person instead of just a furry little pet and protector. Even though Kusabana knew that Aya was supposed to take care of her she tried to take care of Aya instead. She let a tear slip down her own cheek, all the times that Kusabana had taken care of her wounds and helped her flashed through her mind, of all the Record Keepers she wanted her to find happiness, to be released from her duties to go back to the man she loved with all of her being. A man that would now search for her relentlessly now that he knew that she was alive, "Oh Kusa-chan, if they find out that you spoke to him and he knows who you are they'll kill you again."

A/N: Yay! Another chapter finally, I'm afraid that it took me a while to write and thanks to this damnable writers block I think it sucks. Anywho kudos to magedelbene and buzzk97 on mediaminer for their reviews, thanks to you guys I decided not to put this story on hold forever. Although I'd love to get a total of 15 reviews from different people!


	11. Rage

A/N: Sadly I dun own InuYasha, unless they wanna sell the rights for oh lets saaaaaaay….ten cents? I do however own Kusabana and Aya, please dun steal them.

Alex: Hello again! Back with another exciting chapter of Record Keeper!

Sally: Make it short, address the problems, and please give me a damned book! is still locked in her cage

Alex: Oh hush and I might find you one violent enough for your tastes. Anywho I wanted to address this first, the OOCness of some of the characters. Yes they are OOC in some ways, especially Sesshomaru it seems. I will fix that to a point but this is also a story that goes into his background before he turned into a grouchy cold hearted jerk.

Sally: Oh hush your making me shiver talking about him that way. gets fwaped with a news paper

Alex: Quite bug, I like chopping into the softer side of people if you haven't noticed, especially Sesshomaru, no one can be that damned cold all the time….except for Sally here but that's just her nature being an evil fairy and all.

Sally: Why thank you!

Alex: Hopefully in this chapter Sesshy-sama will be a little more IC than OOC. But thank you so much to those who have reviewed on MediaMiner and FanFiction! Also I will soon be starting a forum instead of a yahoo group, so much easier v.v;

Sally: Nah, you're just lazy.

Alex: Hush! I am also working on my first drawing for this story, _The Death of Kusabana_ and it will be posted as soon as I draw in Sesshy-sama, the back ground, ink it, and color it! Next up _Attacked and Shorn_! On with the story!

Chapter 11:

Rage

Sesshomaru let the roar of rage be ripped from his lips despite his attempt to keep it back. He could feel his control over his demonic nature slipping free from his control, the overpowering need to shred the forest around him until he found the demon who had dared touch his Kusabana. The image of the demoness wrapping her arms around Kusabana and taking her away again was stuck in his minds eye. He knew his eyes had changed from their normal gold to a bright red as he moved quickly and silently through the trees following their scents to the last place they had been, he could feel his hair being blown about by the breeze as well as the wind created from his quick movements, the air tugged at his clothing as well as the long boa on his shoulder. His claws sliced through trees as he let them drag along the lethal energy whips trailing from his fingertips.

The anger curling in his stomach twisted growing uglier with each passing moment turning from anger to rage. Faintly he knew that jealousy had been the beginning of his anger, taking hold when the other demon had touched Kusabana and he had smelt the fear, pain, and burning flesh coming from Kusabana. With each flex of the muscles in his legs he sprang forward until the trees were nothing but a blur around him.

The rage in him coiled tighter as pain ripped through his chest piercing the heart he had encased in ice so long ago. She had run from him, with another demon no less. He stopped suddenly when he found that their scent ended at that certain point in the forest. He set his face in stone pushing back all of his emotions, he had to think, he flexed his legs bounding up into the tree where the scent of the two was strongest. The fire flower scent of Kusabana and the woodsy fur smell of the squirrel demoness, a prickle ran down his spine as it always did when a demon had used a lot of demonic aura to do something. His eyes went to the sky and narrowed slightly.

Had they manifested a demon cloud? He landed lightly on the thickest branch of the tree his one hand landed lightly on the trunk of the tree as he stared up at the sky his eyes narrowing slightly again. There faintly he could see the very tail end of the shimmering cloud. He smirked, he had them. He felt his aura begin to gather around him causing his hair to dance around his face as he leaped into the air his demon cloud forming under his feet he went after the shimmering tail end of their demon cloud.

His heart dropped down into his stomach then jumped back up into his throat when the trail just suddenly vanished, he looked down it was a few hundred feet to the tree tops. He blinked as he watched a dot of red and green disappear into the tree tops. Had they dropped on purpose? A low growl rumbled in his chest as he made his way down to the trees, midway he dispersed his own demon cloud dropping the rest of the way until he landed silently on the forest floor.

He cast his golden eyes from tree branch to tree branch until he spotted the silky flow of white fabric dangling from a thick branch of a rather tall tree. With a flex of his legs he was on a tree branch not far from them only to have his eyes widen slightly. The fox squirrel demon was holding an unconscious Kusabana in her arms. Shock replaced jealousy when his ears picked up the squirrel's words, "Oh Kusa-chan….you still love him so much my dear friend." His eyes caught on the exposed arm of the woman he was after and he felt his rage surge forward again. A black rosary was wrapped up her right arm, it was already burned halfway into her arm, and the flesh around each bead was an angry red. He blinked when he saw tears fall from the demon's eyes as she spoke again, "Oh Kusa-chan, if they find out that you spoke to him and he knows who you are they'll kill you again."

He frowned and he made the decision there and then, with another flex of his legs he landed on the same tree branch as both women and stared down at both his cold mask firmly in place. He took in the surprised look and gasp that the squirrel gave as well as the dried tears on Kusabana's face. He glowered down at her and had Tokijenes tip at her throat as soon as she reached for her own sword. She glared up at him her long pointed ears flicking in anger, he smirked tapping the flat of his sword against her chin, a signal for her to stand. She carefully shifted Kusabana from her lap so that she was laying carefully on the branch before she stood her hands held slightly away from her sides.

"You don't listen very well do you Sesshomaru?" She continued to glare at him, "You're going to cause her death you bastard." She snarled the words showing her flat front teeth and the fang like teeth that rested beside them.

"No one will lay a hand to her." He said the words bluntly even a bit coldly, "I told you to release her, not doing so was your mistake." She laughed, actually laughed at him.

"You are an idiot Sesshomaru." She let out a hiss as he let the tip of his sword penetrate the flesh on her neck just slightly, "You have no sway over her, me, or the beings that gave her this new life. Can't you just be glad that she's alive and well, you've already caused that damned rosary to be placed on her!" that was a shock, how had he caused it to be placed on her? His eyes narrowed, she lied surely. Fear, something that he had felt only a hand full of times before curled in his chest and mind, "Yes you. Did you think that Tenseiga saved you from that first battle with InuYasha that you had?" his eyes narrowed again flashing dark gold in anger she let out a bark of laughter, "Hardly. It blocked the attack yes but it didn't get you away that time, she did! She rewrote your fate!" she pointed down at Kusabana.

His eyes narrowed on her, "Excuse me?" the woman smirked just slightly.

"She rewrote your fate in that battle, she broke taboo by doing it to she tampered with free will and the gods." She laughed then and leaned back from his sword leaving the tip dyed scarlet with her blood, "And thanks to that she paid with her emotions. She was never to have contact with you of her own will so she paid. Lord Fire had it placed on her to teach her a lesson, she can show no emotion, it even hurts her to feel emotion. She's protected you for years, since the day of her death when she gave up her after life and chance to be reborn to rid you of the pain of her loss." Tears formed in her black violet eyes and she rubbed at them with the back of her hand her gaze turning furious, "She was ordered never to see or speak to you again and in doing what she has she'll probably be killed outright unless I can make up some possible excuse and Lady Air can keep Lord Fire from killing her without hearing the explanation." Shock held him immobile as she spoke although his face didn't show a bit of the emotions rolling through him, he even kept his eyes cold. His eyes moved down to the woman still unconscious at their feet her hair had shifted away from her face for once.

His breath caught as she shifted letting out a soft sound before her eyes flickered open, his eyes widened as he took in her eyes. Her left was the violet he had always known but her right was different, the violet was rimmed in red around the outer edge of the iris and along the very edge of her retina which was long and reptilian like instead of the rounded shape it should have been. She blinked up at him and shot onto her feet her hand lifting quickly to brush her bangs back down into place. She stared at him for a long moment before bowing her head slightly, she turned her back to him and the saltine smell of tears and the acrid smell of burning flesh assailed his nose before she spoke, "Aya, let's go." She shifted her body seeming to ripple before she disappeared reappearing on the branch of the next tree, she turned to look over her shoulder at him, "Don't follow us Lord Sesshomaru or…." He saw the very slight glimmer of a tear fall down her cheek as clearly as he saw her body tense.

"Or what Kusabana?" he had moved in a second and stood next to her, he watched her left hand move up slowly to grasp one of the jeweled hair pins and slid it from her hair, even as she did the object shifted shapes taking the form of a sword. She never looked up at him as she dropped her arm to her side allowing her sleeve to drop down hiding the sword all except for the few inches of the tip.

"If you do she'll have to kill you, not only will it silence you it will keep her from being killed." Aya landed on the branch above them and crouched there her black eyes glowing violet down at him. His gaze shifted from the squirrel back to the woman who's head was bowed, "It would be as if you never existed after that or as if the dragons allowed it she could plant memories saying that you were killed in battle."

"Sesshomaru…" her voice came out in something close to a whisper, even with his advanced hearing it was almost nonexistent. What bothered him was the fact that warmth flooded his chest when she said his name and only his name, not title in front of it or like a servant to a master, "Please go, forget you ever knew me. Just go back to hating me and believing I'm dead." He raised an eyebrow, she believed that he hated her. It struck him as uncanny, how she could believe something that could never be true. She shimmered again and appeared several trees down from him, another shimmer and she was on the forest floor her hand placing the pin back in her hair as she walked smoothly away. Aya looked down at him sadness in her eyes.

"She's suffered as you have, I'll appeal to the dragons but I can promise nothing so please don't make it harder by following us." She glanced around and was suddenly in front of him her eyes level with his as she spoke in very soft tones so that only he could hear, "I can try to get her back to you Sesshomaru but at a price, I can block the gods for short periods of time but only short periods of time at the price of a year off my life. In two weeks I'll come find you and take you to Naraku, kill him with the help of your brother and she'll be safe again." Her eyes were glowing an eerie violet as she spoke, "If you don't she'll die either way and you'll never have the chance of getting her back but until then stay away." With that she was gone leaving him to stare after them as the disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

A cold smirk curved his lips, he would never work with his halfling brother but the chance to kill Naraku was an opportunity he wouldn't pass up. Nor would he pass up the chance to see Kusabana back at his side where she belonged, he turned in a flurry of kimono and fluff and started back to his palace. His heart thudded once as he moved farther away from his woman his beast roaring for him to go back but he would do as requested for once and then he would have an outlet for all of the rage that still coursed through his veins.

A/N: Sorry guys but this is all for this chapter, I like it this way so this is how I'll leave it, it's more suspenseful, I tried to keep him a little more IC this time although I don't think I did a good enough job, I'm still working on that and by the next chapter I will have it right darn it. Please guys, review!


	12. Plans

A/N: I dun own InuYasha!

Alex: Hello all, sorry it's been so long since I've updated on this story, you wouldn't believe how guilty I feel for not having updated. Sadly one of the other managers where I work quit which means I have to pull more hours. I'm thinking that there will be only about three or four chapters left in this particular fic but just so you all know there is going to be a second part to this fic.

Sally: Yeah she can't just give this one the happy ending that she wants to because I wun let her.

Alex: Exactly, but anyway enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 12:

Plans

Kagome growled glaring at InuYasha who glared back at her, "I say we need to stop at the village and rest."

"I say that we need to go on, Naraku isn't going to just let us find him easily." It was InuYasha's turn to growl at her. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo stayed far back away from the two where angry auras were growing by the second. Shippo jumped onto Miroku's shoulder.

"You know Kagome's scary when she's mad…" the kit whispered the words into the monk's ear who just nodded his agreement.

"You, Shippo, and Kirara may be able to travel like crazy but the rest of us are human and we get tired InuYasha. We need to stop and rest, preferably in a soft bed." Kagome's shoulders suddenly slumped tiredly as she let the fight drain from her. Ever since their little kiss next to the river InuYasha had avoided her like the pelage keeping his distance and only snapping at her if she asked anything. She had finally gotten fed up with it after three days, it hurt that he wouldn't look at her or talk to her by his own means.

He just stared at her blankly for a long moment until she turned away, she hated that look, if she had known one kiss would destroy the friendship that they had she would have pulled away.

She shook her head slightly and started walking, "Kagome…." Sango sounded worried but Kagome just waved her hand slightly and continued walking, her heart hurt and it was heavy in her chest, his silence and rejection was the worst thing he could have done to her.

"Kagome! Watch out!" InuYasha yelled after her then there was a strong breeze and the feeling of being jerked off of her feet, she screamed and clenched her eyes shut only vaguely aware of the arm encircling her waist, "Hands off Kagome!" Kagome's eyes opened and fastened on the ground that was blurring past her. She tilted her head back to look up at the person who had hold of her via arm around her waist so that her legs dangled behind them and her torso in front of them.

What surprised her most was that it was a woman who had her captive, she was most certainly demon due to the fact that she had fur and looked like a squirrel and wore a short odd kimono, she looked down at her with steely black violet eyes before she opened her mouth to speak, "Tell him to turn back, I'm merely a messenger of Lady Kusabana, she wishes to ask her favor." Kagome blinked then shifted to peer over around the arm that held her, InuYasha was following close behind Tetsuseiga drawn a furious expression on his face.

"InuYasha! Go back! It's alright!" she yelled the words and saw something flicker in his eyes, rage perhaps? Or was it fear?

"Are you crazy wench!? You're going to let that demon take you?"

"She's a messenger of Kusabana InuYasha! It's alright! I'll be back soon!" she looked up at the woman, "You might want to speed up." She turned to look back again, InuYasha was gaining, "InuYasha! Sit boy!" there was a scream of rage then the loud crash as he slammed into the ground, "Hurry before it wears off." The woman laughed softly and sped up.

The woman landed with Kagome in a tree on one of the large branches and sat her on her feet, "I'm sorry for being so rough Miko, but we're in a rush, if you and your friends are to defeat Naraku and my mistress be safe again we have to move quickly because Naraku will be moving in soon, it took us several days just to shake the wind sorceress and the boy demon slayer. We only have a week and a half left before the dragons come for her and then she'll die and you will loose her help in destroying that evil man." She walked down the branch motioning for Kagome to follow and the teenaged girl did so taking the offer of help when they got down from the tree and headed to another.

Kagome shuddered, the place was eerily silent and still, she looked around noticing the ring of earth that had no grass growing in it and a ring of red flowers around it, "What happened here? It feels so sad." It was true, the place felt sad as if there was something dragging on ones self.

Kagome let out a gasp as her eyes landed on the woman sitting at the base of that tree in that bared spot, the woman sitting there could be no other than Kusabana, the demon she had only seen for moments before. She sat leaned slightly against a tree while the rest of her was relaxed her long kimonos and strangely styled hair splayed out. Her eyes were closed, the one that Kagome could see flickered open to fix on her as she approached.

"Thank you for bringing her Aya." She sat up slowly her legs shifting to one side of her body as she held out a hand to the both of them, "Kagome please sit with me for a moment, I must explain my request." Kagome's mind was boggled, this woman acted almost human. The sadness that was in her eyes made Kagome's own heart throb painfully. This woman gave up her own happiness for someone she didn't even know was something that Kagome could sympathize with, she had given up a lot of her life just to help her friends and people she didn't know.

Kagome took a seat in front of the older woman folding her legs under herself, a strange tingling shot up her legs and images, sounds, and feelings assailed her mind. Blood, screams, a flash of light, pain, words, and a roar of anguish. Kagome blinked as the last image filtered through her mind, the bright glowing red eyes and the body the silver haired man that held the limp body with bright red hair. She stared wide eyed at the woman in front of her, "You're…..you're….oh my god…" Kusabana lowered her eyes hiding the sadness there.

"I see, your powers are great Miss Kagome, you saw my death I take it. Yes I was a maid to Sesshomaru but not in the sense that some women are. I merely took care of the cleaning of his room and such. I was killed here in this very spot where we sit, there was an attack on the village that used to be here when Sesshomaru and I were passing through on the way to the next village. He told me to stay hidden in the trees where he had placed me but…. The demons were chasing a child, she was just a child, I couldn't let them kill her so I climbed down and tried to help her. I took the blow meant for her and it was lethal, it killed me, I died in Sesshomaru's arms." She folded her hands in her lap, "I made a deal with the dragon gods, I would become the new Record Keeper in exchange for his pain to be gone, replaced with something else." Kagome's eyes widened.

"You were human?" Kusabana nodded just slightly, "They replaced it with hate for humans.." Kusabana nodded again, "So Myoga was right, you gave your life for someone dispite your love, that's how all the Record Keepers are made right?" the woman nodded again.

"Yes but the little known fact is that all the Record Keepers are female and all of them had Miko abilities that were unused. Now to my request, Aya and I have set in motion a plan to destroy Naraku to sit things back to peaceful times. My touch has to be light during all of this but I also play a large part near the end, I am the catalyst that will set the battle into place." She lifted her face and moved her hair aside her eyes closed then they opened and Kagome couldn't help but gasp at the dragon eye that stared back, "I see the future, the past, and the present Miss Kagome."

Kagome nodded listening silent to the woman, "Aya has already began the process with Sesshomaru she is to lead him to Naraku in two weeks therefore that is all the time I have. Naraku discovered me nearly a week ago when I approached his barrier to make an entry in the Record Book, he now knows that I truly exist and wants to absorb me to gain my immortality as well as the ability to read my Record Book. We can't allow that to happen therefore history was slightly altered by the dragon gods, they're using me, you, and the others to fix this little nick in history."

"What happened to your book then, I don't see it around."

"Little Rin has it, she's protecting it for me until I can reclaim it. As long as she has it she'll be protected by the magic around it because she's a human innocent." A softness appeared in Kusabana's eyes and Kagome smiled.

"You love Rin don't you? You visited her like you did with Shippo." Kusabana looked away.

"I do care for her, in my world she was the first to show me kindness in a long time other than Aya. Rin is as dear to me as if she were my own child." Kagome smiled and nodded.

"Okay then what's this plan, we have to hurry or InuYasha will find us." The woman lifted her right arm to place it in her lap.

"It is simple, Aya will lead Sesshomaru to Naraku while you lead InuYasha and your friends. I will lure Naraku to the well back to your time." At Kagome's gasp the woman smiled slightly then winced, "They will have to work together somewhat, we have to kill him quickly and for that I will have to have my full powers back which means I need you to remove this when the time is right." She moved her sleeve up showing Kagome the black rosary there. Kagome's heart stopped as she observed the black beads sunk into the pale flesh of the woman, her heart clenched, how had she stood the pain?

"Ho..how do I remove it? I thought only a dark priest or priestess could remove it." Kagome stared at the now passive face and eyes of the demoness in front of her, she brushed her bangs back into her face and said quietly.

"You fill it with purifying energy and disintegrate it."

"Won't that hurt you? You're a demon now after all." Kusabana adverted her gaze.

"It doesn't matter as long as we remove it, I will survive, my miko powers are still there just hidden under the demonic ones so it won't hurt me all that badly." She slid her sleeve back down, "After it is removed I will be able to help you defeat Naraku. Now in one week say that you sense a jewel shard near the well and go there make sure you are far enough away to take an entire week to get there Miss Kagome." The woman stood, "He's coming for you now, don't let him enter this place, go with Aya." The squirrel demon appeared behind Kagome scooping her up to bound through the trees. Aya set her down a few miles from the hollow.

"Please listen to Lady Kusabana, this is her only chance to regain her powers and her emotions as well as her love." Aya touched her cheek lightly, "And you really need to admit your feelings to him." With that the squirrel demon disappeared back into the woods moments before InuYasha landed in front of her.

"Kagome, are you alright!?" his clawed hands gripped her upper arms as he glowered down at her, Kagome felt a sharp stab of fear and her heart thumped in her chest and the furious expression on his face. His nostrils flared, "You've been with that red headed demon." He snarled the words and she tried to back up a step only to be stopped by his steely grasp on her arms.

"Ow, InuYasha you're hurting me." His eyes widened and he released her suddenly and stepped back, "And I'm alright, she just wanted to ask me her favor InuYasha. That squirrel demon is her friend, she sent her to find me." He continued to stare at her before he turned his back. She stared at his stiff back for a long moment, her emotions suddenly returned, she realized she had been holding them in during the seriousness of Kusabana's and her conversation. Hurt rose in her chest and she looked down at the ground.

"Where are they Kagome, I'll kill them both and we won't have to worry about them anymore." His voice was gruff, uncaring and cold. He sounded so much like Sesshomaru at that moment and Kagome felt her heart break.

"I don't want them hurt InuYasha. If I had known one kiss would change the way you feel towards me like this I would have pulled away!" tears stung her eyes and ran down her cheeks as she blurted out the admission, "I don't regret it but I didn't know it would change so much between us InuYasha!" he whirled towards her his face as stricken as her own the emotions that flashed in his golden eyes mirrored her own. She turned from those eyes as she scrubbed the tears from her face with her sleeve.

"Ka..Kagome…" the startled note in InuYasha's voice was interlaced with hurt, "Don't cry." His arms were around her then holding her snugly to his chest, one arm was wrapped around her midback while the other cupped the back of her head his claws scraping her scalp through her hair. Her hands automatically moved up to grip his shirt front her face burrowing into his chest as his did in her hair, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I'd never hurt you on purpose, I just didn't know how else to keep you safe." She sighed and sniffled the pain in her chest receding into a dull ach at his words, and for the moment she was content to just be held by him, she tightened her hold on his shirt front.

"It's alright InuYasha, just please stop treating me like a stranger." He nodded against her hair and held her for a moment longer then started to pull away, she tightened her hold again shaking her head.

"Let's stay like this for a little longer InuYasha." She could feel him smile against her hair and couldn't help but smile herself as she snuggled her face against his chest again.

Kusbana leapt from tree to tree with Aya beside her, they were on the run again. As soon as Aya had dropped off Kagome and returned to her they had left the clearing and headed deeper into the forest. Soon after that Kagura had found them, this time she had Naraku's saimiosho with her.

"Get back here woman!" blades of demon energy shredded the tree they had just jumped from, they shifted directions only to come up short facing a solid white child holding a small mirror saimiosho buzzing behind her.

"Kanna…" Kusbana stopped and in a moment had Aya's back pressed to hers for protection, Kanna's hand moved forward slowly as she pointed a finger at her.

"Take her over from the inside.." the creepy monotone gave the order and the saimiosho buzzed forward. Kusabana felt fear leap up into her chest and the answering white hot pain in her arm even as she drew her hairpin reshaping it into her sword. She could hear the bone on flesh as Aya's claws grew. She took a deep breath calming herself and then they burst into action, she pushed off of the ground and angled her body bringing up her sword to cross her chest. She could feel her kimonos and hair flaring around her with her movements as she swung her sword letting loose a single arch of red flaming energy that disintegrated the saimiosho on her side, she continued forward aiming for Kanna. Her right eye burst pain into her skull as she neared the pale child.

The mirror in tiny pale hands started to glow the nearer she got, just as her sword neared the child a black saimiosho burst from the mirror. It cleanly phased through her sword and moved to wrap around her right arm, pain lanced her arm causing her sword to fall short of the girl as she flew right past her to slam into a tree a pain filled scream erupting from her lips. She dropped her word and was faintly aware of it turning back into a hairpin as she grabbed her rosary covered arm.

"Let's go Kanna, we've done what Naraku said." There was a whirl of wind that kicked up then they were gone and Aya was kneeling over her checking the damage on her arm. Pain continued to lance up her arm into her chest, the rosary itself seemed to be pulsing a cold so intense that it burned.

"Oh gods Lady Kusabana…" the pain was moving into her chest so that it too throbbed cold.

'_So this is the hold of a black rosary, you're mine now Record Keeper.' _Naraku's cool smooth voice rang in her head causing it to throb and she had to reach up and grasp it.

"He's got me Aya, we have to get to the Bone Eater's Well, now. He'll move in we have to move up the plan…." The world was growing fuzzy as the pain grew slowly her vision dimmed growing darker until her mind shut down and all she saw was black.

"Lady Kusabana!"

Rin froze mid sentence her eyes growing wide as a sudden feeling of dread tightened her chest and her stomach, her wide eyes fell to the book in her lap it pulsed with demon energy that even she could feel. Her breathing grew erratic as the fear and dread in her grew, "Something's wrong with Lady Flower!" she jumped up hugging the book to her chest as she ran from the room leaving a stunned Sora and Jaken in her wake, "Lord Sesshomaru!"

Just an hour before her lord had returned, he had checked on her then disappeared inside the palace. Her breaths became more labored as she ran the fear growing, it wasn't just her fear now it was Lady Flower's too, tears stung her eyes, "Lord Sesshomaru!" she rounded another corner and slammed into a pair of strong legs, she bounced back landing on her rear to look up at her lords face, "Lord Sesshomaru!" she was up in an instant one of her hangs grabbing hold of is pants leg.

"Rin, what are you doing?" his even tones soothed some of the dread in her but it did nothing to relieve the fear that was growing.

"Something's happened to Lady Flower, look!" she held up the book that was steadily pulsing now as the cover grew darker and darker, "Naraku must have Lady Flower!" She could have sworn she saw something flicker through his usually cool gold eyes, was it an actual emotion?

"Are you sure Rin?" she nodded quickly.

"Yes, I felt it Lord Sesshomaru." There was a sudden breeze in the hall and the red flower petals that had put her to sleep once before streamed into the open windows. They swirled around the two and Rin shook her head, "Lady Flower's calling me…." She felt her eyes droop then her mind merged itself in the dream world and she collapsed at Lord Sesshomaru's feet.

_Once again Lady Flower's world was in shambles only this time it seemed worse then before. It seemed darker to Rin, and there were voices whispering, arguing. She searched for the redheaded woman she had befriended, "Lady Flower?" her voice echoed back to her. She began walking for the center of the field the blackened flowers crumbling under her bare feet._

_As she neared the center of the field the arguing got worse, louder and more violent. There in the center lay a mass of red and pink, it didn't move nor did it speak, "Lady Flower!" Rin broke into a run falling to her knees to tug the woman onto her back. Lady Flower's eyes were shut and her face pale, even her breathing was shallow and uneven, her dress was tattered and her hair was down from its normal style to lay around her body in waves and tangles, "Oh Lady Flower." The child hugged the older woman as close as she could._

"_So this is the world she drags you into?" Sesshomaru's voice carried to her from a few feet away and she looked up quickly tears forming in her eyes._

"_It doesn't always look this way, it's usually really pretty here. Something's hurt her Lord Sesshomaru." The girl sniffled and hugged the red headed woman closer._

"_Rin..." the soft voice could barely be heard but Rin looked down at the woman in her arms, "Rin, it's unsafe for you here I'm sorry that I brought you here." The woman shifted her visible eye opening to show the cloudy pain filled violet as she pushed herself up into a sitting position, "Wake up Rin." Rin let out a gasp and was abruptly pushed from the dream world._

_Sesshomaru watched as his charge faded out disappearing from the dream world. He turned his cold gold eyes on the woman that had forced herself into a kneeling position using her hands, his eyes landed on her right hand due to the fact that the right sleeve of her kimono was missing and his eyes narrowed. It was a mass of gashes and blood, the skin was blackened much like the ground around them was. Thunder rumbled in the turbulent sky as she stood, the voices that had been whispering when he had first arrived began again louder telling her to do things or that she would soon be dead._

"_It was an accident, I didn't mean to call her here my lord. She's awake now, Naraku will come after her now, please wake up and protect her…I couldn't stand it if something happened to her." A low chuckle echoed in the clearing._

"_So you gave your record book to a mere child, you make it so easy Record Keeper!" it was Naraku's voice they both turned to see the baboon pelted demon standing a few feet from him his red eyes gleaming._

"_Naraku… get out of my body and out of my mind." Kusabana hissed the words even as Sesshomaru appeared by her side his hand resting on his swords._

"_But my dear Record Keeper it was so difficult to get here, you're mine now." Sesshomaru felt the stirrings of his rage again and let it simmer and bubble up his hand tightening on the hilt of his katana, he could hear Kusbana's erratic heartbeat and from the way her body was trembling it was no assumption that just standing was taking its toll on her, keeping him there with her had to be even more difficult. Her hand oozed blood and it dripped onto the ground._

"_I'm no possession Naraku." She said the words evenly forcing herself to stand straight her face falling from pain and anger to a placid mask her eyes going cool and dead. She was sinking into herself, "I know that even if I do kill you here that this is just an incarnation of your original self, it won't hurt the real Naraku. But I will not allow you to take over my body and mind, I won't let you get your hands on the book." With that she sprang forward her left hand lifting, the long red fingernails there grew even longer and lost their rounded look taking on deadly points that gleamed in the sparse light._

_Anger and fear welled up and he followed her his hand drawing his sword in one smooth movement, if the half demon laid a single finger on her he'd tare him to pieces bare handed. The rage that churned in his stomach and chest grew and clenched a tighter hold on him, he let it flow through him and felt his fangs grow in his mouth just slightly as did the claws on his hand. Naraku laughed still as they neared him._

A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter isn't as good or as long as others. I'm also extremely sorry that it took me this long to update but the holidays and all that. Blood+ will be my next update for those of you who read it. I'm also putting up a fic for Trinity Blood. Enjoy if you read and please do review.


	13. Rush to Battle

A/N: Dun own InuYasha, eyes Sesshy-samam but…oh boy if I did….. . …

Alex: Hey all it's been a while since I updated on this story and I'm really really sorry.

Sally: No you're not, you're just gonna blame it on your boss again.

Alex: . … well it is her fault for giving me so many hours! Anyway I hate to say it but this fic only has maybe two more chapters after this one but don't worry there will be a second half to it so all you have to do is wait until after I finish my Blood fic which has somehow turned from one-shot to full out blown thingy!

Sally: Thingy?

Alex: Yeah, you know a thing-a-ma-hooze-it!

Sally: A what?

Alex: A….hold on a second! You're distracting me again!

Sally: evil grin You betcha!

Alex: Arg! Anywho I'll stop arguing with myself and get on with the chapter.

Chapter 13:

Rush to Battle

Sango stared at the couple that walked ahead of them, Kagome had hold of the end of InuYasha's sleeve and they were talking in low tones. Sango crossed her arms and continued watching the couple it had seemed they had patched things up, Miroku stepped closer to her.

"Makes you wonder what they're talking about doesn't it Sango?" his violet eyes held a kind of shimmering humor that went well with the slight curvature of his lips. She blinked up at him and couldn't help her own smile.

"Yes it sure does." Shippo peeked around Miroku's head to peer at her from Miroku's other shoulder.

"I see, do you think they finally got together, I hope so. That way InuYasha will stop looking for Kikyo!" Kirara mewed softly in agreement. There was a soft sound of the monks robes shifting as he sidled closer to her, it was a habit of his, he tended to move closer to her when thinking about the future or during battles. That was until she felt his hand move nearer to her, anger bubbled forth until his hand simply took hold of hers lightly. Everything seemed to drain out of her in one great rush as the slightly callused flesh of his palm slid against hers, she turned her head to look at him and met only a gentle smiling face as his fingers threaded with hers.

Sango felt her face heat before she turned her face back forward although she tightened her fingers around his telling him in her own way that she approved and felt the same, words that she could never say aloud. InuYasha suddenly came to a stop in front of them one of his hands pushing Kagome behind him while the other gripped the hilt of his sword. There in their path stood a demon already bloodstained from battle, her kimono was ripped and her fur was matted with dried blood but what tipped Sango off that the demon wasn't an enemy was the look on her face.

She looked lost and scared…. No terrified of something. Her right clawed hand was pressed to her shoulder where blood was slowly seeping between her fingers.

"InuYasha no!" Kagome shoved InuYasha aside and ran forward catching the demon as it fell, "Miss Aya! Sango help me!" Kagome was trying to lift the demon up to move her out of the path. Sango dropped Miroku's hand and ran to her friend while InuYasha just stood and growled at them both as they moved the female demon into the edge of the trees, "InuYasha please get me some water."

"Hell no! I'm not helping the demon that kidnapped you Kagome!" Kagome glared at him with furious eyes.

"Miroku and I will get the water!" Shippo leapt off of the monks shoulder and ran into the trees the monk close behind him. InuYasha growled louder and Sango pinned her own glare on him.

"Miss Aya, wake up." Kagome tapped the demon's cheeks with her hand and she stirred, "Oh thank the gods, I thought you had died." The demon called Aya's eyes widened and she sat bolt upright.

"He got Kusa! Naraku got Kusabana!" she winced her hand flying back up to her shoulder even as Kagome and Sango stripped the top of her torn kimono off of her.

"Miss Aya what happened to your shoulder?" Kagome stared in horror at the huge hole in the woman's shoulder.

"Kagura and Kanna came after us after I brought you back, they've placed part of Naraku inside Lady Kusabana. After she collapsed I got her away but…. He found us and he took her. He's going to use her against everyone!" she let out a yelp as Kagome bandaged her wound, Miroku and Shippo had returned with the water and she had cleaned the blood away. Aya suddenly leaned closer, "We have to hurry to the bone eaters well." She pushed away then stood. Confusion clouded Sango's mind as Kagome followed the other woman's lead.

"Lets go guys, Naraku is headed for the bone eaters well, he may be trying to use the Record Keeper to get closer to completing the jewel." Kagome turned pinning her eyes on InuYasha, "We have to go, this is our one chance to kill Naraku." InuYasha glared back at her and Sango felt her heart still in her chest, was this really their chance.

"Let's go." InuYasha turned and offered his back to Kagome and with that they were off.

Kusbana's body was numb, she couldn't move a single muscle, all she could do was stare at the trees passing below her as Naraku carried her draped under his arm like a sack of rice. She watched her hair dance below them as it interrupted her view every so often, although numb her mind still worked, they were headed towards the bone eaters well just as she had written in the book.

"Just think Lady Kusabana soon I will have both you and the book. Once I absorb you into my body I will truly be immortal, I will know everything, every weakness, every secret." it was then that she felt the large swell of enraged demonic aura, it was an aura that she knew all to well. She let her eyes slide closed and started to think back upon the battle that had taken place on the dream plane.

_Kusabana shot towards Naraku, she could feel the wind ripping at her clothing and hair as she moved her claws held at ready. She could hear as well as feel Sesshomaru behind her, following her into the fight. The tips of her red fingernails began to glow as she pushed her demonic aura into them, small smoky tendrils of blood red energy drifted off of them to float and disappear behind her._

_She struck, five separate ribbons of energy lashing out like whips at Naraku, the baboon disguised demon dodged to the side and up into one of the bunt skeleton trees. Kusabana came to a stop the five ribbons trailing to the ground to pool around her for a mere second before her feet left the ground again, she sprang up the tree just as Naraku leapt to another one, she gave chase Sesshomaru turning to head another direction._

_Kusbana frowned slightly as she felt herself become weaker and the pain in her body worsen until her vision blurred. She gave a single powerful thrust of her legs against a tree trunk and shot forward, she didn't have any more time left, her hand snapped out as did the ribbons at the same time Naraku turned slightly and sent parts of his mutated body flying in her direction as well as Sesshomarus as he dodged her attack._

_Dodging her attack was his mistake for he stepped directly into Sesshomaru's path as he unleashed his Tokijine. The blast of furious demonic energy tore the incarnation of Naraku into tiny pieces and destroyed him. The stench of burning flesh and fur drifted into the air as Kusabana landed on the next tree branch the ribbons trailing from her fingertips fading away as her fingernails retracted taking on their rounded appearance again._

_She stared at the lord who landed a tree away directly in front of her before her eyes started to slide closed, using what demonic powers she had left in this world had drained her, her body gave out and fell going completely numb. She could make out the white blur of Sesshomaru as he jumped to catch her and closed her eyes shoving against him with her will as well as releasing her hold on him. At first she had been unable to send him back because she had clung to his strength but now Rin needed him._

"_Protect Rin…" she heard his growl as she felt him disappearing from her dream plane even as her body slammed into the ground. She lay there in numbed silence for a long moment before she willed up enough strength to push herself out of the dream plane back into her own body. She had woken as Naraku took to the air with her in tow._

Kusbana closed her eyes to hold back the tears and emotions that wanted to spring free, already her arm was burned and throbbed painfully inside her sleeve, she could see the blood seeping through the light colored cloth and every so often a few drops would fall outside of her sleeve to fall to the earth below them. They were nearing the well faster than she had thought he would. The God Tree swelled in her line of sight and soon enough there was the open field with the old wooden well sitting off to one side on the first little swell of a hill.

If she had had the ability to do so she would have smiled because waiting for them was a band of people standing around the well. She could make out the red of InuYasha's clothing and the gleam of metal of his sword, the flickering flames that surrounded the transformed Kirara drew her next as did the woman holding the gigantic boomerang. The monk stood close to Kagome and the little fox demon as if to keep them safe, standing a ways in front of the whole band stood a dark brown splotch wearing a bloodstained kimono, Aya had survived the attack on them.

She felt Naraku stall in the air to stare down at his opponents as his grip around her middle tightened, "You warned them!" the words were hissed down at her as he jerked her up so that her back was pinned against the front of his baboon suit. The enraged swell of demonic aura behind them grew and Naraku tightened his hold on her, "You warned them all! I would kill you here and now if I didn't need your living flesh!" In truth she hadn't told Sesshomaru where the final fight would take place; he was most likely following the aura put out by Naraku at that moment as he carried her towards the well.

With Sesshomaru gaining ground on him Naraku had no choice but to take his chances with InuYasha and his friends. His following of lesser demons darkened the sky as they were led by Kagura and Kanna, Naraku neared the ground as he pulled her slightly in front of him one arm wrapped around her waist while his opposite hand wrapped around her neck so that her head tilted back against his shoulder. She moved her eyes just slightly to land on Aya who stared her teeth bared in a snarl at the half demon behind her.

"Let Lady Kusabana go Naraku!" Aya's tail fur was fluffed electricity sparking down its length as she readied herself for the attack and all the while Kusabana could only watch the fear in her chest growing. What if their plan didn't work? What if Naraku killed her before she could get the book back from little Rin? What if he killed Sesshomaru? She could feel the rosary around her arm begin to burn, although she couldn't show her emotions due to the poison Naraku had put in her body with his attack she could still feel them and just feeling them was enough to make the rosary's magic work.

Fear mixed with pain as the white hot fire that was the rosary worked its way into her arm and settled heavy in her chest. There was a soft shifting of grass behind them signaling Sesshomaru's landing followed by the heavy claws of Ah-Un then the padding of small feet.

"Lady Flower!" Rin's high pitched cry that accompanied Sesshomaru's low growl sparked a new fear in her heart and a new spike of heat in the rosary.

"You all came for the sake of one woman. A woman as disposable as the next for me to use." It was then that the sacred arrow flew past his open shoulder to kick up dirt a few feet in front of him, all eyes turned towards the priestess in red that stood in the trees edge. Kikyo stood still as a statue her bow already redrawn the arrow pointed dead center of Naraku's back. There was the sound of another bow string tightening and stretching and she moved her eyes to look at Kagome who stood with her bow half drawn ready to lift into position. Next came the sound of metal sliding against metal as Sesshomaru drew his katana, everything around them seemed to still. This was the ending battle, the one they had all been waiting for, a strong breeze moved through the clearing tossing her hair around her face and Naraku's body bringing with it the scents that surrounded them.

She shifted her eyes from Kikyo to Aya who nodded just slightly to her, she knew the plan was still in action, Kusabana still had time to make everything right.

"It's about time!" InuYasha's growled words set the battle into motion, the lesser demons seemed to fall from the sky with a small directive wave of Kagura's fan. Naraku turned then his baboon pelt and her hair flaring around them.

"Get the child!" his hand waved in Rin's direction and a new sense of fear burst into her chest along with the fierce protective rage that someone was going to hurt the child that had been her friend. Kagura and Kanna fell with the feather that was taking them in the dark headed child's direction and Rin let out a scared scream as another lesser demon streamed down from the sky towards her. Everyone seemed to burst into movement in that instant, this would be the end of their war, the final battle that they had all rushed to meet.

A/N: I'm soooo sorry that this chapter took so long and that it's this choppy but I've been so exhausted that I've barely been able to write at all. Hopefully the next chapter or so will be the end of this half of the story. Sorry again! falls over dead asleep now


	14. Final Battle

A/N: I dun own InuYasha! Kusabana and Aya however are mine so please don't thieve them! Although if people wanna draw them I dun mind!

Alex: Okay next to last chapter! And then there will be a slight wait on part two of Record Keeper!

Sally: Don't you think you're putting a bit much on your plate there captive mine. pokes at the bars of her cage

Alex: 'Course not! I can do it! But after this story has ended my main focus will be on my Blood+ fic stares at the web page that states that volume 1 of Blood+ will be on store shelves in March sooooo you guys will just have to wait on this one for a bit.

Sally: You know Sesshy and Inu are gonna get jelous if you keep staring at Haji and Able like that. .

Alex: Dunno what you're talking about. innocent look inserted here

Sally: Psh, someone's liiiiiied to shooooo!

Alex: Aww shut up! tosses the cage under her desk On with the chapter! (please read authors note at the end of the chapter)

Chapter 14

The Final Battle

Rin's scream echoed in the air and was followed by the whistle of arrows as both Kikyo and Kagome launched arrows into the horde of demons, there was a shout from Sango and her boomerang slammed through more demons from above. Kusabana watched everything with sad eyes, she still couldn't move as she was carried along with Naraku while he dodged attacks from InuYasha and Sesshomaru, the sadness and fear inside her causing the rosary to glow hotter.

She moved her eyes to Kagome as she fought firing arrow after arrow with her brow furrowed in concentration as she aimed each shot carefully to take out the most demons with each shot. She needed to get to Rin, she needed to protect her. Naraku still had her held tightly to his chest using her as a shield to protect his front from attack. They moved through out the clearing for quite a time when she felt Naraku shift behind her his body mutating into his more grotesque shape one of his many claws still holding her to him.

There was a crash of electric energy and her eyes moved to where Aya and Kagura were clashing together long claws meeting fan in midair. The demon squirrels sharp teeth were bared in a snarl and Kagura's red eyes were narrowed as the two fought for death. Kanna stayed off to the side directing the demon hordes in their attacks. Her eyes moved back to the fight with her caught in the middle of it her eyes straying to Sesshomaru, his face was passive and his eyes cold as he launched attack after attack at her captor never sparing her a glance, she knew that Naraku's death was foremost in his mind as his pride always was.

Finally an attack struck Naraku's shoulder and she flew from his grasp tumbling to the ground and rolling a few feet away. New pain shot through her exhausted body causing it to throb anew. She felt her top kimono catch and tare before she found herself staring at the sky, she shifted her eyes to watch the fighting, a tentical of Naraku slammed into InuYasha's shoulder and she watched him stumble back as the cloth tore and a few drops of blood splattered down onto the grass.

"Miss Kagome! Get to Lady Kusabana now!" Aya's voice rang clear over the sounds of the battle. Kagome turned and ran letting Sango cover her spot as she tried to get to her, one of Naraku's tentacles slammed into her side and knocked her off balance and away letting out a yelp. Kusabana shifted her eyes and watched as Kagome rolled a few times herself before she struggled back to her feet.

"Hey! Don't ever hit my Kagome! Wind Scar!" the explosions shook the ground as Kagome landed on her knees beside Kusabana.

"What do I do?!" Kusabana ignored the pain going through her body and glanced down at her now smoking arm. Kagome quickly shoved her sleeve up and gasped at the blood coated appendage, "Now what." Kusabana let a tear escape her eyes as Kagome lifted her hand up, it hurt just to move it, she glanced at it again then back at Kagome then back at her hand, "Oh… but won't it kill you." She leveled her gaze on Kagome and kept it steady conveying silently. Kagome nodded, "O.. okay." Kusabana watched as the girl closed her eyes her brow furrowing in concentration. Slowly the rosary grew warmer and it felt as if spikes were being driven through her arm as it fought the removal. Kusabana gritted her teeth finding that she could move just slightly, the pain grew almost unbearable quickly causing Kusabana to let out a shriek before suddenly the thing burst apart black beads scattering over the ground.

It was if the air had returned to her lungs, the pain disappeared as quickly as it had been there as her demonic powers were released in one large wave of demonic energy strong enough that it knocked Kagome back off of her knees. She could feel them pulsing through her as she stared up at the darkened skies. She blinked her eyes slowly before she shifted standing quickly to look down at Kagome who sat on her rear panting and staring wide eyed at her. She offered her still blood covered hand to Kagome who took it and stood shakily, "Listen to me Miss Kagome, when I tell you get everyone down the well and to your time, it's for your own safety."

"B..but how? Only InuYasha and I can get down the well."

"I'll arrange it." Kagome gave a small nod and Kusabana pushed off the ground rocketing forward she shrugged her shoulders at the same moment her hands untied her obi, she shed her top kimono letting it flare out and fall behind her as she reached up with her right hand gripping a hair pin pulling it free at the same time she shifted it into a sword. Her body was aimed for the demons overwhelming Kikyo and Sango, she pushed against the demonic energy that had welled up inside her directing it to her sword, it pulsed in her hands the blade slowly turning red. She swung the blade in a circle with an easy roll of her wrist, "Fire of the flowers!" five long blades of energy formed just before she thrusts her blade straight through the center of the blades, they shot forward flashing into flames that burned through the demons as she landed in front of Rin her hair fluttering back down around her form as she held the sword tip towards Kanna her eyes narrowed in anger as her clothing and hair settled back around her body.

"This ends now." Rin stood then and slipped behind her slipping the book back into her free hand where it belonged. Someone landed beside her and she glanced over, Kohaku stood dressed in all his slayer glory his weapon dangling from his hand, "Protect Rin Kohaku." he nodded slightly.

Sesshomaru felt the flare of miko magic and his eyes shot to Kusabana at the same time he heard her scream. He tramped down a growl and the urge to attack the girl attacking her, then he saw the black beads spray across the ground, a new demonic energy pulsed through the air for a few minutes before it faded. He had to turn his attention back to Naraku to keep from getting skewered, that's when he felt it, the burning energy that filled the air and tingled down his back, he turned in time to avoid another attack and catch a glance at the attack that burned through the lesser demons.

He hid his smirk and turned back to his own battle, each attack was met with a block but Naraku was slowly backing away from combined attacks, he watched as InuYasha moved easily behind the other half demon and swung his sword down with a crash setting loose a large Wind Scar, seeing that he smirked just slightly and let loose his own Dragon Strike. Naraku's eyes widened just slightly as he tired to dodge to one side only to run into the other attack.

"Oh no you don't!" there was a whistling of an arrow as Kagome let it loose followed shortly by another from Kikyo on the opposing side, he watched with a kind of satisfaction he usually only found in destroying entire human armies. Naraku's crimson eyes widened in surprise as their attacks tore at him, he twisted wildly to escape them leaving his head in tact still yet, the Shikon Jewel fell to the ground and he readied another attack as Kagome darted forward for the jewel she dove and rolled snatching it up quickly, "Now Miroku!" she took two steps and was swept up by InuYasha as he jumped away.

"Wind Tunel!" apparently their entire plan of attack had been organized in the past because Naraku let out a snarl as he drew his body back together to try to escape the pull of the monk's wind tunnel, the very wind tunnel he had cursed the family with. Miroku came from above riding on Kirara's back bracing his right arm with his left hand as he jumped keeping his hand aimed at Naraku, they were not going to let him escape this time. He actually felt his lips tilt upwards just slightly in a smile of satisfaction; this was the ultimate lesson for the half demon trash who had dared to insult him. Naraku let out a scream as he was sucked into Miroku's hand as soon as he disappeared the Monk winced and grabbed his wrist tightly, the black hole in his hand was collapsing in on itself, disappearing until it faded completely, he landed in a crouch staring at his now un-cursed hand. Aya and Kagura stopped turning to watch what was going on, Kagura's hand flew to her chest pressing against it as she felt the first stuttering beats of her heart returning to her chest.

Sesshomaru sheathed his sword with an easy movement of his arm as he turned his heart rate picking up slightly as his eyes searched for the two most precious to him. Rin and Kusabana were together at the edge of the trees, Kusabana was kneeling her hair tossed about in the aura and light given off by the open book floating above her lap, her still bloody right hand hovering over the pages her eyes held a far off look the one under her bangs glowing a bright white. Rin stood behind her, her small hands resting on one of her shoulders as she stared down into the bright light with wide glowing eyes her small sharp teeth nibbling at her bottom lip. And just in front of them off to one side was Kohaku his weapon held at ready where he had been fighting the lesser demons away from them. And behind them stood Jaken on Ah-Un's back his staff of two heads held at ready.

Everything grew quiet as they soaked in the feeling of Naraku finally being gone, "It's over..." Kagura held a hand over the heart now beating steadily in her chest, "Finally over, come Kanna before they decide to destroy us as well." There was a swirl of wind and then they were gone. He watched as the book closed itself and fell into Kusabana's lap, her hair settled back down and she let out a sigh. Slowly her visible eye opened showing that it's was back to it's normal violet state, she turned her head to look at Kohaku then to him her lips moving slightly as she spoke to the boy, he nodded and with Rin's help she stood smoothly the book disappearing under the shorter sleeve of her under blue kimono she moved forward one red colored fingernail lengthening into a dagger like point she moved quickly then her hand flicking, the shimmering shard of the jewel falling from Kohaku's back. She caught him and the shard easily and smoothly lowering the boy to the ground in the same movement.

"Kohaku! What did you do!? You killed him!" Sango ran forward swinging her Hirikoutz to knock Kusabana away from her brother at the same time Kusabana sprang to her feet to jump back, he had inserted himself between her and the weapon in an instant catching it easily in his hand. Sango blinked at him as his golden gaze bored into her face, "S..Sesshomaru…." fear spiked in her, he could smell it along with confusion from everyone except Aya and Rin.

Something tugged so lightly at his sleeve that he barely felt it, then he saw the top of a red head in the corner of his view, "Bring Kohaku back for her." She spoke so softly as she had so long ago, the small weight he felt at his sleeve was from her fingertips as she grasped it lightly with her pale hand; it was a simple request yet she didn't even look up at him to ask it. He tossed the weapon back at the demon slayer and stared down at the boy that stared up at him with blank brown eyes, another tug this time at his pants leg and he looked down at a Rin's hopeful face. His eyes closed briefly and he let out a growl mentally, he hated feeling like a fool especially for two human women. His hand raised to his sword and he drew it waiting for Hell's underlings to be brought to his sight before with one swing he sliced through them. The boy blinked then sat up looking around confusedly before being hugged half to death by his sister and Rin, "Thank you my lord." The slight pressure on his sleeve left and he turned his head, she was already half way across the field headed towards his brother and the two priestesses as they stood staring down each other, Kikyo said something and turned walking into the trees.

"Lady Kusabana, they're coming!" Aya burst from the trees, "Get everyone down the well now!" she paused to scoop up the shrunken Kirara."

"Rin." Kusabana turned and motioned for the girl, "Come here little Rin." Her tone was soft and Rin grinned moving away from Kohaku to run to her.

"Sango, Kohaku c'mon!" Kagome was already scooping up Shippo, Sango snagged Kohaku off of the ground and drug him towards the well, "Hang onto InuYasha okay." She shoved her friend towards where InuYasha was waiting for them with Miroku. He grasped Sango's hand immediately while he grabbed Miroku's arm with the other.

"Hang onto me!" with that he jumped into the well, there was a slight light then all was quiet. His eyes moved back to the priestess as Kirara was handed off to her yet she stayed, Kusabana kneeled down as Rin reached her.

"Listen to me little Rin, you have to go with Kagome now for your own safety." She reached up taking off one of her necklaces, one with a small blue crystal ball hanging from it and looped it around the girls neck, Rin was already crying.

"B..but I don't want to! I wanna stay with you and Lord Sesshomaru, I can't leave him all alone!" she blinked at the crystal as it landed against her chest and Kusabana lifted her still slightly scared hand to wipe away her tears.

"I know, but we'll always be with you." She stood then and swooped the child up handing her to Kagome, "Go quickly, and be safe." Kagome nodded and jumped into the well in one swift movement.

"Lady Flower! Lord Sessh…" Rin's voice faded away and Kusabana lifted a hand towards the well after a few long moments, from her palm flames flashed and the earth caved in on the well as it burned. She turned then and his golden eyes met with her sad shadowed visible eye.

"It was to keep her safe, you'll see her again I promise." Aya appeared next to her in a moment resting a hand on her blue clad shoulder, she nodded once and looked up her face now set in the same placid look that had occupied her face when the rosary had been on her arm, "I have to say goodbye to you again, they'll be here soon and you can't be here when they appear." Aya stepped off going for the over kimono and obi that Kusabana had thrown off in the fight, Kusabana moved towards him reaching out with her scarred hand to touch his arm lightly so that he would look down at her. It was a reflex, it was how she had gotten his attention in the past when he didn't want to look at anyone, such a very light and gentle touch that never failed to gain his attention.

Her head was bowed down slightly so that all he could see was the top of her red hair; slowly she leaned forward resting her forehead against his shoulder lightly her hand resting lightly over his heart, "Goodbye…. Sesshomaru." She whispered the words softly and he felt a sharp stab in his chest, his hand moved up to touch her chin tilting her face up, her violet eyes were still slightly shadowed but they held a sadness that he hadn't even seen when she had died. She blinked at him once, "You have to go." He knew his gaze was probably cold yet he bent slightly his lips settling over hers softly, her hand shifted on his chest her fingers curling lightly around the material of his kimono for a moment then she pulled away directing her gaze down as she backed away from him. His fingers slid across the flesh of her cheek, "Aya…"

The squirrel demon nodded settling her outer kimono back over her shoulders before she approached him, "I'm sorry Lord Sesshomaru but this is for your own protection." Her fist drew back, Kusabana's blue obi still clutched in it, and let it fly. Her fist slammed into his chest hard, to his surprise he went flying through the air and trees, his body shifted already trying to stop himself in reflex.

"Milord!" Jaken's shocked cry was closing in on him as he tried to run after him followed by Ah-Un, he skidded to a stop his body crouched to push off when he felt the rumbling of the ground. He looked back at the field, Kusabana and Aya stood in the middle. Aya had kneeled down on one knee her fists pressed to the ground next to her foot and Kusabana was bowing deeply. The ground in front of them exploded and he watched his eyes wide as a long dark green dragon wrapped its long body around them both and drug them into the air. He watched in shock as they just disappeared in a flash of light, "Milord?" Jaken was beside him staring at him his large bulbous eyes nearly popping out of his head as he stared at his face, "A..are you… crying?" his hand lifted to his face and indeed there were small trails of salty water on his face, he just looked at the imp his lips tilting up slightly as he turned something wrapped around his legs. He looked down and his eyes widened, from inside the fold of his hori hung the dark blue fabric of Kusabana's obi. The smell of fire flowers drifted up to him as he pulled it free, Aya had shoved it into his clothes when she'd punched him giving him a piece of Kusabana for him to keep.

Meanwhile Jaken shuddered, once again his lord had smiled at him and he felt that he had shortened his existence once more.

They landed in a pile of bodies and weapons, "ARG! GET THE HELL OFFA ME!" InuYasha was the first to recover jumping up and sending them all scattering in the confines of the well before jumping straight up to the rim of the well to toss down the ladder to the rest of them grumbling all the while. One by one they climbed out all except for Rin who Kirara carried out of the well as she cried, they all turned to watch the well erupt in flames then die down into solid ground as if it had never been.

"I guess we can't ever go back there now can we?" Sango stared at the spot that the well had once been with blatant shock written on her face. Kagome shook her head slightly clutching the nearly complete jewel to her chest, she looked up the stairs leading to the outside of her time, "It's going to be very different isn't it? We're going to have a hard time adjusting aren't we?" Kagome sighed and nodded again.

"This time is very different, you guys will have to learn a lot in order to fit in." she started up the steps wrapping an arm around Rin's shoulder to guide the still crying girl, "It's okay Rin, I'm sure you'll see them again, after all Lady Kusabana did give something to remember her by so that you won't be so lonely. And besides you have all of us to take care of you." The prosession of people into her back yard probably would have looked very odd to any outsider considering everyone but her was wearing something from the Fudel era. Kagome and Rin came out first followed by InuYasha and Shippo, behind them were Sango and Kohaku, and lastly Miroku came out with Kirara riding on his shoulder. Her grandfather paused in his sweeping to stare at them with wide bug eyes, her mother dropped the basket of leaves in her arms and Souta let out a yelp of shock, "Hi Mom… we have some guests.." InuYasha stepped up beside her his hand brushing hers lightly.

"Feh, guests my ass, a whole new family is more like it." Kagome sighed softly.

"InuYasha…" he gulped shaking his head at her, "Sit boy." There was yell from him then the resounding crash as he face planted on the stone walk way.

-Fin…. For now-

A/N: I'm very sorry that it took me this long to get this chapter out, I also know that it's not nearly as good as any of my other chapters and for that I need to be shot. Sadly due to happenings at work I've been unable to write as much as I'd like to. My boss had to have a partial hysterectomy which meant more time at work for me, no sooner did she get back then another Asst. Manager had to go in for exploratory surgery at the same time another Asst. Manager got fired…. Joy for the hell I call 'work'. Hopefully now that everything is resolved I'll be able to write so much more and it won't be nearly as sucky if it is you all have permission to write the worst flames you can and send them to me multiple times!

I also debated for a long time on rather to have Kusa and Sesshomaru kiss and I had almost decided against it but I was afraid you all would seriously hunt me down and commit a very bloody and painful murder after days of torture. I will start the second half to this story as soon as I'm done with my Blood+ fic I promise.


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